


Ryuuji's Guide to Demonic Boyfriends

by TongueTiedRaven



Series: Ryuuji's Guide [1]
Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Bon Pov, Boys In Love, Dating, Demon/Human Relationships, Developing Relationship, Falling In Love, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, Healthy Relationships, Humor, M/M, Rin's flames, Rin's tail, Romance, Soft Okumura Rin, Soft Suguro "Bon" Ryuuji, The entire cram group will be appearing, dealing with demon tendencies, dealing with possessive sides, demonic heightened senses, fangs can be a problem, learning to date, rin learning to handle his demon half, ryuuji is along for the ride, taiming your new demon boyfriend, updates on saturdays, white haired rin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:09:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 58,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27446164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TongueTiedRaven/pseuds/TongueTiedRaven
Summary: Bon was chowing down on his meat bun, when Rin set his bento aside. Bon turned his attention to the halfling and right there- with his mouth half full, hunched over, bags under his eyes, hair a disheveled mess- Rin smiled and said:“I like you.”Bon hadn’t understood what he meant and swallowed his mouthful. “Like you too.” He managed around the swallow. “Thought we settled that a while ago.”Rin shook his head, white hair flying. “No, Ryu, Ilikeyou.”He'd promptly choked and nearly died before he managed to make it clear that the sentiment was returned.Dating Rin promised to be interesting. There were so many more things to consider than the average teen had to think about. Bon had expected there would be a learning curve to dating but he forgot to include the demonic into his calculations.It might prove to be a bit of an oversight, but Bon was nothing if not a quick and ambitious learner.
Relationships: Okumura Rin/Suguro "Bon" Ryuuji
Series: Ryuuji's Guide [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2173386
Comments: 272
Kudos: 539





	1. Watch Out For The Fangs

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks Akhi for putting the idea for this in my head!  
> Thanks MarbleWolf for the title idea!

_Welcome to Ryuuji’s guide to a Demonic Boyfriend. If you’re reading this you’re either a) dating a demon or a halfling, b) want to date a demon or a halfling, c) a curious person who likes to know things, d) bored._

_The first step to dating someone who is a demon or who has demon blood is to make sure you’re a patient person because you’re going to need it. Demons are a) territorial, b) stubborn, c) bad at talking, d) kinda rude. They won’t always listen and they won’t always say romantic things. If that isn’t a deal breaker then you can probably make it work. Better make sure of your feelings too, demons don’t tend to let go of things._

_If none of that is a turn off then read on for lesson one._

_Kissing. Depending on the amount of demon blood in your new partner, this will be a problem. Demons have sharp teeth. Really sharp teeth. There’s no getting around it. Tread carefully and SLOWLY. This is a skill you’re going to have to develop. Make sure and talk about venom's before you dive into this. You don't want to get any nasty surprises.  
_

* * *

Dating Rin Okumura promised to be an interesting journey. There were _so_ many more things to consider than the average teenager had to think about. 

Bon had known he liked Rin since the summer of their first year. He’d knelt in the middle of that horrifying castle, utterly prepared to die. The Impure King had marched towards them with murderous intent and Bon had been ready to lay his own life down to save his friends and family. He’d known he had mere minutes before the exhaustion took him and all that was left to do was to make sure Rin got out as well. 

He’d offered his friend-he was glad that was solved before the end- a smile and told him to get everyone out. He could trust Rin to do it. The halfling wouldn’t leave anyone behind.

Rin had stared back at him and ranted about Kyoto Tower like it mattered at all. It had taken him a moment but he’d figured it out and realized what Rin needed wasn’t an escape.

He’d needed trust. 

Bon stared at the glowing demon, his vision blurry but his heart certain. He’d told the halfling that he trusted him and broke his personal barrier.

After all, Rin wouldn’t leave _anyone_ behind. That apparently included Bon. He should have expected it.

Rin drew his sword, defeated the Impure King, and just like that, Bon had fallen. (Literally as well as figuratively.)

He’d woken up a little later being carried by Rin _bridal style_. (He could feel his dignity burning away like the miasma.) He’d complained until the halfling put him down and he promptly scrambled as far away as he could get without looking weird. 

It took him the rest of the summer break, but he managed to put his crush on a back burner. He didn’t kill it but he didn’t nurse it either. Sometimes it would seem to go away and sometimes it got a lot worse. It was just a part of his life for the next year. He had a great friend who occasionally made his heart pound and his breath stutter. He didn’t think anything would ever happen with it and that was fine. (He didn’t spend a lot of time staring at Rin and day dreaming. It was utterly unprovable no matter what pictures Shima had.)

But, lo and behold, Rin wasn’t actually straight like Bon had always thought. That alone would have been a revelation worthy of a drink (and Bon didn’t even drink) but damn it if Rin didn’t add another world changing fact to that particular information dump.

He was sitting at the fountain, chowing down on his meat bun, when Rin set his bento aside. Bon turned his attention to the halfling and right there- with his mouth half full, hunched over, bags under his eyes, hair a disheveled mess- Rin smiled and said:

“I like you.” 

Bon hadn’t understood what he meant and swallowed his mouthful. “Like you too.” He managed around the swallow. “Thought we settled that a while ago.” (It had only been a little messy.)

Rin shook his head, white hair flying. “No, Ryu, I _like_ you.”

Bon had made the mistake of taking another bite of his bun and he promptly choked. He bent over, losing his grip on the fountain and fell to his knees, hacking violently. Rin sprang towards him with a panicked yelp and pounded at his back. He forgot to watch his strength and Bon went flying forward into the grass but he did manage to clear his throat. (Being shot across the grass would do that.)

“Shit! I’m sorry!”

Bon shook his head and grabbed hold of Rin’s shoulder. He let out one more violent hack and hauled himself upright. Rin’s eyes were wide and horrified. 

He blinked his watering eyes and felt a silly grin lift his lips. 

“Rin,” his voice was hoarse and he was an utter mess. Spit and bits of bun on his lips, tears in his eyes, grass all over his hands and knees, but he didn’t care. “Rin, I like you too.”

Rin’s face switched from horrified to stunned. 

“What?!”

Bon took a moment to just breathe because his lungs still didn’t feel right. His world spun a little from the revelation and the lack of air. Rin’s hands wrapped around his biceps and turned his upper body so they were facing each other. He hadn’t realized that he hadn’t answered Rin.

The halfling was staring at him with wide, mildly frightened, eyes. He was practically vibrating with nerves and his tail was flicking through the air like it was searching for danger. 

“Sorry,” He rasped after another inhale. Rin’s face fell and he hurried, “you caught me off guard. I like you, Rin. Have for a while.”

Rin didn’t say anything. He just gazed up at Bon with soft eyes. Bon studied him in turn, patiently taking in the moment. He’d have panicked at a different time but Rin wasn’t the type to play games with his words. If he said he liked Bon, he meant he liked him. Bon could wait however long it took for Rin to process Bon’s words. (The halfling better put the pieces together. If not, Bon would show him how good of a teacher he was.)

Truthfully, he needed a moment too. His world was rewriting itself to take in the massive fact that Rin liked him. That this funny, kind, spontaneous teen who had become one of his very best friends was also interested in him in that way.

Rin’s brow furrowed in confusion. “A while?” He murmured. He was still holding Bon’s arms and the warmth of his hands was starting to get distracting. 

Bon nodded. “A while.”

Rin shuffled a little closer on his knees. He bumped against Bon. (He could feel his stupid cheeks heating up. Thank _god_ for a dark complexion.) 

Rin’s hands slid down his arms until they were circled around his wrists. Bon’s pulse was going wild and he hoped the halfling didn’t notice.

“How long a while?”

Bon did not blush. (He absolutely did and would deny it until he died.) “Since… uh, a while.” 

“For real?”

Bon nodded and raised an eyebrow. “For real, Rin. What’d ya expect?”

Rin shrugged and wrapped his hands around Bon’s. Bon tried to hold still and hide the amount he was internally flailing. He had never held someone’s hand in a romantic way and he had gone out of his way to avoid touching Rin’s hands. (They were calloused and warm and smaller than his.)

“Kinda thought you’d be weirded out and I’d finish my lunch alone.”

Bon’s brow wrinkled. “I wouldn’t have been rude.” He wasn’t a monster. Had he not made that clear to Rin yet?

Rin’s lips lifted in a pleased smile. “Well obviously I know that _now._ ” He squeezed Bon’s hand. “I knew you wouldn’t be mean. Not on purpose.” His tail wagged through the air happily and Bon’s heart fluttered. “I just didn’t think you’d like me back.”

Rin shuffled closer and Bon’s breath hitched (embarrassingly) loudly. The halfling sat up a little, his eyes scanning Bon’s face with a hungry glint. 

“I wanna go on a date.”

Bon nodded in agreement because he didn’t quite trust his voice. Rin was really close and he wasn’t entirely sure any of this shit was actually happening. It wouldn’t have been the only time Rin starred in his dreams. It wouldn’t have even been the only time Rin confessed in his dreams.

(He should probably be embarrassed that Rin confessed in his dreams and not the other way around. He was a sap in his dreams.)

He swallowed twice. “Yeah.” He straightened a little and Rin’s hands tightened around his. “I’d like that a lot.” He rubbed his thumb against the back of the halfling’s hands. 

How was this a thing?

“I wanna make you dinner.” Rin hummed, his fangs poking out over the top of his lips. “And cuddle.” He liked the sound of that.

“I want to go on a hike with you.” 

Rin’s tail wagged through the air quickly and happily. He couldn’t help watching it’s cheerful movements. It, strangely, convinced him of Rin’s sincerity more than anyone else had. His heart thumped hard and he had to suck in a breath as he looked back at Rin’s face.

The halfling was already studying him. Bon had a moment of panic and utter excitement as Rin’s tongue darted out to lick his lips. He was suddenly _hyper aware_ of how closer their faces were.

He hadn’t kissed anyone. He hadn’t had a chance/interest because cram school was exhausting and he only really spent time with the people in the group. He’d imagined kissing Rin several times. (And more than kissing but he wasn’t thinking about that because his blush was already crazy.)

“I like you.” Rin stated decisively. “I like you a lot.” He inched still closer and Bon could not get any air in his ridiculous lungs. He felt like he was full of clouds and could float away at any moment. (It had been all of five minutes since Rin had confessed and Bon was turning into such a sap.)

“Can I kiss you?”

A small part of Bon’s mind immediately went ‘may’ but he shoved it down and nodded his head.

Rin’s lips lifted up at the corners in a very kissable smile. Bon was not a particularly strong man so he leaned forward while Rin did the same. He closed his eyes (that was what you were supposed to do, right? Was it rude to kiss with your eyes open?) sucked in a breath and-

Promptly clocked his nose against Rin’s in a surprisingly painful collision. He drew back with a pained grunt and brought a hand to his throbbing nose. 

Rin did the same, both of his thin hands covering his pink face.

Bon blinked at him, nose aching and heart thumping. “Have you never kissed someone before?” He asked around his hand.

Rin flushed even brighter and shook his head. His hair looked brighter than it had a moment ago. 

That floaty feeling came right back (Bon’s cheeks were on _fire_ and he was so stupidly happy) as Bon looked at the blushing boy. He leaned close again and moved his hand to cup Rin’s cheek. Rin’s hands dropped away and he tilted into the touch.

He could feel Rin swallow compulsively and his breath hitch. He kept his eyes locked on Rin’s wide blue ones. “Don’t move, ‘kay?” Rin nodded and Bon slid his hand a little higher. He kept his eyes open this time, despite how weird it felt, and tilted his head slightly.

He was suddenly there, lips a breath away from Rin’s and his heart was _racing_. He pressed his mouth against Rin’s as gently as he could and held still because he wasn’t certain what to do.

Rin’s hands moved to his arms and wrapped around his biceps. He could feel the faint bite of claws digging into his skin and he didn’t care. Rin titled his head the slightest bit and it made _such_ a difference. 

His eyes slipped shut without quite meaning to. Rin moved a little more and it became something different, a full, proper kiss. He leaned into it with an embarrassing noise.

He drew back sharply, a blush coloring his cheeks even more.

Rin’s hand curled around the back of his head and tugged him right back into a kiss. His face collided a little too hard but Rin didn’t seem to notice at all. Rin licked at his lips and he opened his mouth without really thinking about it.

It was _fantastic_ for about fifteen seconds and then there was a sharp pain and the metallic tang of blood in his mouth. He broke the kiss off, bringing his hands to his lips and finding they were bloody.

Rin gaped at him in horror. “Oh _no._ ”

He wiped his mouth on the back of his jacket sleeve. It was black and he knew from much less fun experience that the blood wouldn’t show. The sting was already fading. 

Rin scrambled backwards and Bon had to lunge forward to grab his wrist before he could get away. “Stop!” He yelped. “Swear to _god_ , Rin Okumura, if you run away right now I _will_ kick your ass.”

Rin stopped his retreat but wouldn’t look at him. He was bright red and his face was pinched in worry and embarrassment.

He tugged on the hand he’d captured and rose to his knees. “Come back here.” He coaxed with an easy smile. “I wanna try that again.”

Rin shook his head and looked at Bon like he might be crazy. “Ryu, I just _hurt_ you.”

“I’m fine. It’s just a scratch. I’ve gotten worse in sparring practice.”

Rin’s shoulders slumped. “That doesn’t make me feel better.”

He shrugged. “There was bound to be something we had to learn, Rin.” He shuffled a little closer and dropped a hand on Rin’s waist. The halfling’s tail twitched and he took it as a good sign. “Don’t know if you’ve figured it out yet,” he added as Rin came back into his space. “But I _like_ learning and I’m real good at studying.”

Rin snorted, his lips quirked up slightly. “You tryin’ to get me to study, Ryuuji?”

He shrugged again. “I’m asking you to be my study partner.” 

Rin’s arms draped over his shoulders. “Mmm, do you assign a lot of homework?”

Rin’s face was really close. He nodded. “Lots.” 

Rin’s fingers played with his hair. He liked the sensation way more than he anticipated. “What if I-”

He kissed the nose right in front of him and loved the way it made Rin’s eyes widen in surprise. “We’ve got time, Rin.” He brushed his lips against Rin’s ear and whispered the next words. “And I _really_ like learning new things. I intend to learn everything.”

A flame flickered in Rin’s hair and Ryuuji added that to the list of things he was going to need to learn more about. This was going to be interesting.

And a _lot_ of fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have numerous ideas for this story but feel free to leave prompts or things you'd like to see in this :) Also, I don't care that white haired Rin went away. I wrote this before that and you can pry him out of my cold, dead, fingers.


	2. Cuddling Conundrums

_When cuddling your demonic significant other, watch out for that tail. It is SENSITIVE, and not always in a fun, sensual way. It's a hazard and you don't want to squish it or you will have a very unhappy demon on your hands. Depending on the type of demon, you might have other problems. Watch out for wings, they can cramp and it’s really annoying if the feathers are going the wrong way. All demon ears-regardless of the type- are sensitive. This can work for you or against you._

_Also, the horns can be uncomfortable. I'm just throwing it out there._

* * *

The cram group reacted bizarrely. Konekomaru had been polite and happy for them, Izumo had rolled her eyes with a muttered ‘finally’. Yukio seemed utterly indifferent and lectured them about not letting their schoolwork suffer. Like Bon was about to lose a grade point and risk his scholarship. Shiemi gushed and started to talk about how cute they were. Renzou had drawn back in surprise. “You mean you weren’t already dating?”

He’d smacked his friend and dragged Rin away. 

Bon had always noticed his frie- _boyfriend_ was tactile but it was a new experience to have that touchy-feelyness directed towards him. Typically the halfling resigned himself to a friendly arm over the shoulder or a cuddle with Kuro. He could snuggle with Shiemi when Izumo wasn’t around but if she was there he was back to cuddling his cat.

Within minutes of becoming a couple, that need to snuggle was directed at him. (Bon was _not_ complaining. He'd been wanting to cuddle Rin for a year.)

He just… okay. Bon hadn't had a lot of experience with the whole cuddling thing. His parents were affectionate but his relationship with his father had grown strained until the last year and he hadn't been particularly seeking of their affection. He'd sling an arm around his friends and he'd hug them but he'd never really… cuddled.

He figured it would be easy and he figured _wrong_.

He was sitting on a couch in the abandoned dorm's common room with the rest of the cram group. Rin walked in with a tray of drinks and set them on the table. He then eyes all the spots and beamed when he saw the empty seat next to Bon. (He'd shoved Renzou off the couch and onto the floor while Rin had been in the kitchen.)

Rin plopped down in the seat next to him, all gangly limbs, and leaned into his side. He pinned Bon’s arm down accidentally. He liked the weight of Rin against his side and didn’t want to make him move but it wasn’t exactly comfortable.

Rin twitched and wiggled and pressed harder. Bon managed a few minutes and then he _had_ to move. He got his arm free and Rin pulled away with an embarrassed flush. He caught hold of his boyfriend’s shoulder and pulled him back so his now free arm was around the halfling’s shoulders. Much, _much,_ better.

“You're warm.” He murmured into his boyfriend’s hair. Rin shivered and snapped his head up to look at Bon only to clock his head against Bon’s chin. It made him bite his tongue and grunt with pain. Rin flinched away. He kept his arm securely around his boyfriend and closed his eyes for a moment. Rin stayed stiff, barely touching his side. 

There had to be something they could try without injuring themselves. They weren't even that clumsy of people. Other couples made this shit look _so_ easy.

He coaxed Rin a little closer and flipped a page of his book like nothing weird had happened. He stared at the new page for all of thirty seconds before flipping back because he hadn't read any of the previous page.

He could feel Rin smirking and, just like that, the air was lighter.

They got through the study session and Rin left to start on their dinner date. 

Bon went to his own dorm and promptly had a minor freak out when he realized he had almost no clothes outside of his uniform here. He’d brought a few things for lounging around in, a suit for formal occasions, and some work out gear. Nothing for a _date._

He stood staring at his closet for an embarrassingly long time. Konekomaru came in and suggested a shirt while Renzou insisted on a specific pair of pants that weren’t particularly comfortable but apparently looked good.

He put the clothes on, spent way too long on his hair, and finally headed out.

The abandoned dorm was unlocked which was something Bon would yell at him about later. Just because True Cross Academy was mostly safe didn't mean that you could be slack on basic safety measures. 

Kuro was sitting patiently in front of the door and bolted down the hall the moment he entered. He watched in mild confusion while he locked the door behind himself. He wasn’t going to leave them unprotected while they were distracted. He got halfway to the dining hall before he heard a loud clatter and an excited yelp. He _immediately_ panicked.

“Rin?” He ran the rest of the way and arrived at the dining room right as Rin dashed out of the kitchen. His boyfriend was wearing a dark blue shirt, slacks, and a purple, frilly, apron that said “Kiss the Chef."

He stared for a moment too long (he always forgot how good Rin looked in blues) and promptly averted his eyes. He then remembered that he was allowed to look now and his gaze shot right back to Rin. The way that shirt fit over his chest should not be legal. The apron was ridiculous but the rest of the picture was delectable.

"Hi," Rin murmured, "I lost track of time." He tugged the apron off and chucked it back in the kitchen. He strolled towards Bon who felt utterly rooted to the spot. His hand was partially extended towards the halfling and Rin took it in his own when he reached them. "You hungry?"

He nodded and offered the halfling a lopsided smile. "Yeah."

Rin dragged him towards the kitchen. Half the meal was already made so he took up a spot next to Rin and accepted the knife he was passed. Bon hadn't used one recently but his mother had trained him on cooking and basic kitchen skills. He was competent enough to feed himself even if he didn't have Rin's skills.

He chopped up the vegetables and chatted about the upcoming training mission they had. Rin tended to the barbeque and homemade sauces while Bon chopped. 

It felt _weirdly_ domestic and he was a fan. The conversation came easily and they'd had enough experience fighting together to be able to move around each other comfortably.

They finished preparing the meal and brought it out to the dining room. The lights had been turned off and a lot of candles set out to illuminate one of the smaller tables. 

Bon was blushing as he took his seat and he wasn't sure why. Rin sat across from him and promptly hooked his foot around Bon's ankle. He very nearly choked but he managed to hide the reaction. Rin’s smile got larger and Bon retaliated by hooking his foot around Rin’s. The halfling looked utterly satisfied by the development and dove into his food.

It was delicious, as always, and a strange heaviness seemed to sit over them. Not awkward, but different. It felt loaded. Each glance held more meaning and he couldn’t quite stop himself from staring. He was allowed to look and boy-oh-boy was he noticing a lot of new details. Rin was handsome, but that didn’t seem quite the right term for Rin. There was something ethereal to him, a beauty not quite of this world. Not frightening exactly, but breathtaking and gorgeous. He wanted to study every inch of the halfling’s face up close. 

He finished his meal in that distracted state-Rin was staring right back and it just made him feel all the more floaty- and Rin rushed to grab dessert. Bon took the moment to inhale and recite a focusing mantra to steady his thumping heart.

Rin came back out with a large tray. He had brewed a pot of tea and there were two slices of a fruit tart to accompany it. He passed a cup of matcha tea and a plate to Bon before reclaiming his seat. 

“This looks delicious.” He complimented and Rin instantly blushed with a pleased little smile. Bon stared at him for a moment before grabbing his fork. He absently cut into the tart and took a bite because he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the small smile that was lifting Rin’s lips.

He knew the moment the tart hit his tongue that he’d made two mistakes. One, he hadn’t informed his new boyfriend of his allergies. Two, he hadn’t bothered to look at the stupid tart. 

Kiwi wasn’t an easy flavor to mistake. It was tart and he hated it. He immediately grabbed his napkin and spat the piece of tart out but it was already too late. He wasn’t deathly allergic, thank god, but he could already feel the itching beginning. 

“Ryuuji?” Rin sprang out of his chair as Bon began to hack. A tongue shouldn’t be able to get itchy, and shit, he could feel a rash spreading up his neck and chin because the stupid napkin had touched him. Great. Perfect first date. Damn it all.

“Allergy,” he managed. He grabbed the tea and gulped some down. It was, of course, hot and burned his throat but that made the itching harder to notice.

Rin lost all his color and a few flames sprouted out of his hair. “What?” 

“Kiwis,” He explained. “‘m allergic.”

Rin grabbed his arm. “Do you need to go to the hospital?! Can you breathe?!” Bon turned his eyes on his boyfriend and felt his mouth pop open in surprise because Rin’s face was stretching into its demonic form. “Tell me!” He ordered, his voice much deeper than it usually was. He hadn’t seen Rin lose control like this in a long while. It was unsettling because he wasn’t sure what had done it.

“Hey,” Bon wrapped his hand around Rin’s. “Hey, I’m fine.” He curled his other hand around Rin’s waist and offered him a reassuring smile. “It’s not life threatening or anything. I’m fine. Just itchy.” He’d probably have a stomach cramp later but it wasn’t anything terrible. Hopefully there wouldn’t be a migraine this time. Whatever happened, he’d put on a smile and fake feeling great until he was by himself. 

Rin’s grip on his arm was getting a little painful. 

“Kiwi?” Rin garbled. “The food hurt you?”

Bon shrugged. “It’s fine. I shoulda let you know.” Rin didn’t look like he was quite breathing correctly. Bon pushed away from the table and Rin growled lowly. 

He was tugged up out of the chair, turned towards Rin, and pulled close. The halfling caught him by his cheeks, hauling him closer to his own face so he could study him. Bon’s breath caught uncomfortably in his throat. Rin came closer, his nostrils flaring and teeth bared in a low growl of discontent. 

“Rin?” His boyfriend shivered and, just like that, he looked like himself again. Rin inhaled sharply and loosened his grip around Bon’s arms. 

He cautiously settled his hands on Rin’s waist. “You okay?” The halfling nodded and averted his eyes. There was an awkwardness in the air now and he wasn’t really sure how to get rid of it. It was their first date and it was supposed to be fun and romantic.

Huh… that was an option.

He flashed a shy smile to his new boyfriend and leaned closer. “I’m not really hungry anymore.” He confessed. Rin looked distracted by his close proximity. It was impossible to miss the way his tail drooped though. He swallowed and charged on. “Wanna move onto the second half of the date?”

“Second half?”

He blushed. “Cuddling?”

Rin’s tail wagged and Bon promptly found himself being dragged towards the common room he’d been in a few hours earlier. Rin pushed him towards the couch, grinned mischievously, and plopped backwards on to it. He stared for a moment too long. (Rin staring up at him with those long eyelashes and that cheeky grin was way too distracting.) 

Rin tugged on his hand and he half fell, half sat, on the spot next to him. 

Right on Rin’s tail.

The halfling yelped in immediate pain and Bon scrambled up and off, falling to the floor in a clumsy sprawl. Rin pulled his tail to his chest protectively, his face contorted with pain. 

“Shit,” He gasped, guilt and fear twisting his stomach, “I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” 

Rin stared at him for one second and then snickered. He tried to block the sound with his hand but the laugh bubbled out, bright and happy.

“You,” he gasped, “are way too hot to be this clumsy.”

“Hey!” He blushed a hot red and sat up right. “I-”

Rin slid off the couch and landed next to him. He wrapped his arms around Bon’s middle and flopped them both over onto their sides where the pillows had been discarded. 

“Shut up,” the halfling demanded with a giggle, “and cuddle me.” 

Bon wrapped his arms around Rin’s waist as the halfling tucked his head against Bon’s throat. He relaxed against the pillow. 

“Much better.” Rin murmured with a happy little sigh. “I knew we could fit.” (Rin's horns were poking uncomfortably against his throat but it would be a cold day in hell before he acknowledged that.)

The halfling was like a heater and he could just imagine how uncomfortable it might get in the dead of summer but for now it was cool enough that this was really nice. He shifted his hold a little, sliding one hand up Rin’s back so it was pressed against his boyfriend’s shoulder blades. Rin’s tail wagged at the new touch, a little flame flickering at the tip of it, and he moved his head so his cheek was pressed against Bon’s shoulder. 

Bon tilted his head over top of the halfling’s with a small smile. The horns didn’t feel awkward this way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've currently got ideas for about twelve chapters of this, but it might end up longer. I have no real idea, lol
> 
> Thanks to Rynoa for the Kiwi idea :D


	3. Meeting the Other Half

_If you’re dating a nephilim, then you’re going to have to deal with the fact that your significant other has a not human part. If they’re anything like my nephilim, they’re going to be weird about it._

_I suggest making sure both halves of your significant other are comfortable. You want to make the atmosphere relaxed and non threatening because you don’t want the demon part to think you’re challenging it on your first outing. Also? Don’t be afraid to grab that tail if your significant other gets a bit handsy._

_Demons are physical creatures and you’ll probably find them trying to butt into your romantic times. You’re gonna have to talk about it and get used to mid kiss transformations. Careful for the fangs getting larger and sharper. If your partner has venom, you’ll have to watch out for that as well._

* * *

Bon expected, after the dramatic appearance in the dining hall, that he’d see the demon half of his boyfriend more frequently now that they were officially dating.

He assumed incorrectly. 

If anything, Bon saw him _less_ than before. He was kinda unnerved by that. Ordinarily when they were on an exorcist mission Rin would flame up and the demon part of his personality would take over. Bon didn’t mind that part of Rin-he liked Rin, and all the weird parts that included -even if he didn’t really know him. Demon form Rin wasn’t particularly verbose, though he was very protective. He tended to snarl at any threats and, now that Bon was thinking about it, the demon got really protective of _him_. Huh.

(He would not admit how happy that realization made him.)

They were huddled together in the upper hallway of Rin’s dorm. He’d meant to get them to the halfling’s room so they could study but Rin had been all bashful smiles and shy glances and Bon was not that strong of a man. (He’d had a year of longing to make up for and damnit if he wasn’t going to indulge himself like a glutton now.)

Rin was extremely receptive to his forwardness so they were hiding in a shadowy corner and making out against a dusty old wall. Bon was making full use of the difference in their height and Rin seemed to be eating that right up.

Rin broke away for a frantic sounding breath that turned into a wheeze as Bon directed his attention to Rin’s tempting ear. The halfling clutched his shoulders and pulled himself further up Bon’s chest. Nails dug into his shoulder as he nibbled at the pointy tip and he had the extremely strange sensation of it growing longer around his teeth.

“Ryuuujjii,” Rin dragged his name out on a moan, his voice deep and raspy in a way that Bon was an immediate fan of. Holy _shit_ he was such a fan of it. He moved back towards Rin and froze because his boyfriend’s face had shifted. His cheeks weren’t the same shape, his jaw was longer, his horns were bigger, and his eyes were red. The sharp sting of nails became more prominent as Rin dragged his hands up and grabbed Bon’s cheeks. He was hauled into an almost violent kiss before Rin shoved him back with a furious growl.

He stumbled backwards a few steps and managed to right himself before he fell or hit the wall. Rin was panting and had his hands fisted in front of him like he was struggling violently against something.

Bon’s brain was a little hazy from the heavy kissing but he was with it enough to realize that his boyfriend had just shifted to his demon form for a moment there.

“Rin?”

Blue eyes locked on him, tense and intent. “You okay?”

He nodded his head and immediately parroted the question back. “Are you okay?”

Rin shivered. His hair lit with fire as Bon watched him. 

“My-I’m okay.” Rin reached out for him and Bon took his hand. Rin’s thumb compulsively rubbed against the back of his hand as he shuffled closer. 

He ducked his head a little so he could see Rin’s eyes. “You wanna talk about it?”

Rin adamantly shook his head and dragged Bon towards his bedroom. Bon followed because he wasn’t sure what else to do. The halfling led him to the desk he shared with Yukio and tugged the chairs back. He didn’t sit down right away. He kept his gaze on Rin and waited. And waited.

Finally, “Ryu, please.”

“We gotta talk about it eventually, Rin.”

Rin glared and crossed his arms over his chest. “No we don’t.” 

He took the seat so he wasn’t towering over his boyfriend. He didn’t want him more defensive than he already was. Rin watched him uncertainly, his brow furrowed with concern. Bon leaned forward and hooked his foot around the leg of Rin’s chair to haul him closer. The halfling straightened in surprise before his cheeks tinged pink.

“You know,” Bon murmured as he caught Rin’s hands again, “I like you. All of you.”

Rin fidgeted uncomfortably. Bon watched him and kept his grip on the hand in his. Finally Rin slumped.

“Can we do homework instead? I just… need time.”

It wasn’t what he wanted to do but he could wait. He had patiences when it counted. (On some things at least.)

That weekend it was his turn to plan the date and he wanted to take his boyfriend out on something a bit more adventurous. He wanted to go on a hike. He’d wanted to from the moment Rin had confessed. He wanted to get Rin away from the academy and town and do some exploring.

He picked Rin up early in the morning (sleepy Rin might just be his favorite version of Rin) and dragged him to a train. His boyfriend was snuggled in a oversized hoodie and shorts, his hands in his pockets and his head lolled to the side on Bon’s shoulder. He made quiet noises, his tail tucked around Bon’s leg, his arms wrapped around Bon’s arm and holding it like it was some stuffed animal. He hadn’t considered this part of dating, the public pda and stuff but dang, he couldn’t move. Rin’s mouth was open on a soft, breathy, snore, his fangs barely peeking out. His eyes were half shut which had been startling (it had freaked him the hell out the first time he saw it) when they were new friends but now was just Rin.

He watched in breathless disbelief for most of the train ride. He was allowed to study the halfling and this was his life now. It was an incredible thing.

About twenty five minutes out from their destination Rin started to twitch. It wasn’t particularly noticeable for the first few minutes. It wasn’t until his tail lit with fire that Bon noticed his boyfriend’s features shifting.

Rin’s horns were longer, his fangs were pushing past his lips, and his cheeks were sharp. The demon half was coming forward.

Bon’s first reaction was to check the seats around them. They were at the front of the train because he liked being near the exit after the whole spirit train drama. Quick escapes were never a bad thing.

No one was watching them or even seemed aware of their existence. That was a good start.

He turned his eyes back on his boyfriend and realized that Rin’s face was fully demonic now. 

Waking him up seemed like the best idea but what if he didn’t respond well? He couldn’t really risk something violent happening on a train. They also couldn’t just stay here. The train was going to stop and people were going to start moving. That seemed like an even more dangerous option. Territorial creatures didn’t do well with things moving through their space when they were asleep or weak.

Gentle waking seemed like the best option. He squeezed the hand Rin had in his and bent his head a little so he could nose through Rin’s flickering hair. 

He blew a breath into the blue locks and watched Rin twitch. His hand was squeezed tightly and Rin’s head snapped up as his nostrils flared. Bon managed to avoid getting his chin clocked this time. Red eyes squinted at him, focused and suspicious. Bon stared right back, holding his breath and trying not to look alarmed. 

Rin’s lips quirked up in a smile that wasn’t quite right. “Ryuuji,” he murmured. He turned his head and brushed his nose along Bon’s shoulder and up his throat. He felt his breath hitch as the halfling’s lips dragged along his skin.

They were in public. He was hyper aware of how many people were around.

“Rin-”

His hand was squeezed and nails bit at his palm. Rin’s right hand let go of his arm and reached up to grab his cheek. His face was tilted and Rin was stretching up to kiss him.

“Rin-” His boyfriend shuddered and suddenly the demon features were receding. Rin ducked his head and hid his face against Bon’s shoulder.

The only reason he didn’t push the issue was that they were on a train.

They arrived at their destination and he led Rin off the train, holding tightly to his hand and keeping him close. He found the trail quickly enough and by the time they reached it, Rin was rambling out questions. It was one of the more advanced trails so he didn’t see anyone else on it. He dragged Rin behind a few trees and pulled him near.

“This is an advanced trail,” he explained, “and it has one of my favorite views at the top. I know you could probably just climb up the side of the cliff like the monkey you are, but keep your eyes on the surroundings, ‘kay? I don’t want anyone seeing you do something supernatural.”

Rin’s tail wagged. “I’ll be careful if I can get a kiss at the top.”

Bon rolled his eyes even though his cheeks heated up with a blush. He pulled Rin back on the path and the halfling started another monologue of questions and observations. Bon answered what he could and offered a few return comments as they went. He mostly listened, enjoying the stream of consciousness and excitement in his boyfriend’s voice. Rin got utterly distracted by spotting a serow and almost wandered off the path. Bon managed to snag him before he could and they watched the animal until it disappeared among the trees.

It took them about two hours for those questions to taper off. They had to scale a few walls with very little to hold onto and he could feel Rin’s eyes on him. He wasn’t certain if it was nervousness or excitement but he liked the attention.

He reached for the top and Rin caught his hand. His super strength boyfriend hauled him up and into an excited hug. 

“You’re right.” Rin hummed and kissed his cheek. “This is amazing.” 

He squeezed the halfling and eyed the rest of the trail they had to climb. It was kind of tempting to just have Rin jump them to the top. He wanted to enjoy the view and their lunch. (He wanted that kiss at the top.) They had one more dangerous stretch and then they’d be at the summit. 

Bon pressed a kiss to his boyfriend’s forehead and wiggled free from his arms. “Come on,” He urged with a smile he couldn’t stop, “We’re almost there.”

Rin stayed back. “You first. I wanna be on the bottom.”

Bon raised a confused eyebrow. “Why?” 

Rin strolled closer and walked his fingers up Bon’s chest. “Mmm,” He dragged his hand over Bon’s jacket collar and pressed closer, “the view is much more appealing that way.”

Bon’s breath caught in his throat and he felt himself turn a very bright and embarrassed red. His mouth popped open but nothing came out. Rin watched him, cheerful and-

Huh. Bon might be crazy but his boyfriend looked a little nervous. Not in a ‘please don’t reject me way’ but in the same way he had looked when he’d rambled about Kyoto tower. 

Rin looked like he was trying to distract. 

“You sure that’s all?”

Rin fidgeted. “I don’t want you to fall.” His eyes were locked on the ground between their feet. “It’s, uh, kinda stressing me. I wanna be able to keep my eyes on you.”

“Okay.” He stepped back and Rin immediately panicked. The halfling’s hands caught his arms and hauled him away from the edge he was still several feet away from. He’d moved maybe two inches closer to it and apparently that was too much. Rin’s features morphed to his demon form before shifting back.

He felt like he was handling a spooked horse. “Woah,” he moved his own hands to Rin’s hips. “I’m fine, Rin. I’m good on mountains. I’ve been climbing ‘em since I was a kid.” He paused and decided that reaching the top wasn’t that important. The point was to have fun. “We can stop here if it’s too much?”

Rin shook his head hard enough to make his hair flop. “No, I wanna see the top. I just…”

Bon waited, holding Rin’s waist and listening to the nature around them. He was fine standing here with Rin. 

Rin huffed out a weary breath. “Can we talk when we reach the top?”

He let go of Rin’s hips and caught his hand instead. “Come on.”

It was a sweaty, but cautious, climb to the summit. He reached the top and turned around to help Rin with the last few inches. Rin took all of ten seconds to enjoy the dazzling view before he crowded against Bon and claimed his long awaited kiss. (Bon had no complaints.)

Thoroughly kissed they got a proper look at the view and Bon couldn't help but notice his boyfriend's tail wagging. It made his heart thump happily to watch and it wasn't really his fault that he simply had to kiss Rin again.

They got a few picture of the stunning view and a few pictures together with the view behind them before they set out their small picnic lunch. 

Partway through the lunch was when the topic finally came back up.

“It’s my other half.” Rin blurted. Bon continued to munch on his cucumber and nodded. Rin relaxed a little at the non reaction and went on like Bon had hoped he would. “He really wants out but I don’t trust him yet.”

His brow furrowed as he swallowed his cucumber. “But I thought you had control?”

Rin nodded and blushed. “He likes you.”

“Oh.” Rin kept staring and he realized just what his boyfriend was saying. He coughed and blushed _again._ “Oh.” He repeated a bit hoarsely. 

“Yeah.” Rin grinned, bashful and playful. “We know what we like.” His tail trailed along Bon’s arm teasingly. 

(He was going to be permanently red at this rate.)

Rin stared at him for a few moments longer. “I don’t know what he’ll do.” He finally added. 

“Hmm,” he leaned forward on his arm so he was in Rin’s space. “Then how about we do it slow?” He trailed his fingers along Rin’s cheek. It grew sharper under his touch and he found himself extremely flattered and, weirdly, excited. “We’ll schedule a meet?”

Rin’s entire body shivered. “Why not now, Ryuuji?” His boyfriend asked in a much deeper voice as flames spread throughout his hair. Bon drew his hand back in surprise only for demon form Rin to catch it. 

Rin shuddered again and looked mostly human once more. His boyfriend blushed and Bon felt his eyebrow raise in surprise.

This was probably going to get weird. Well, weirder. (But damn if it didn’t sound fun.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a strange chapter but I had to introduce demon!Rin properly because he's the main drive for like 80% of my ideas. The real introduction/meeting between these two will probably happen next chapter :)


	4. Nicknames and Nomenclature

_Demons are tactile creatures. This has as many benefits as it does drawbacks. You'll find that with their tactile nature, they tend to get very handsy, and very petulant when they're denied touch. This is where communication comes in, and, I cannot stress it enough, communication is vital to your relationship. (Even for fully human couples, but especially for nephilim/human or demon/human ones) You have two halves to talk to and they'll disagree with each other just to be petty._

_Also, there might be actual speech or language barriers. Demonic mouths are shaped differently and it can be hard for them to form certain words. Then there are some demon species that use entirely unique languages or have dangerous voices (such as sirens, banshees, and crocotta) and that is something you'll have to take into account. For those cases, don't forget sign language is a viable option._

_I won't lie, it will take patience. It will take work, but it the end, it will be worth it_

* * *

Bon liked holding Rin’s hand. He _really_ liked holding Rin’s hand. It was warm and strong and fit so nicely against his. Rin tended to swing his hands a lot when he walked and he’d swing Bon’s right along with his. He wasn’t much of a swinger but he liked doing it with Rin.

He also liked it because he could tug Rin with him easily and Rin could do the same. 

Bon could see his boyfriend at the end of the hall and he hurried over towards him, his hand already extending to snag the halfling’s hand. Rin spotted him and his tail gave an excited wag.

“Hey, cutie!” 

Bon stopped in his tracks in surprise and his cheeks immediately heated up. 

Rin watched the reaction and tilted his head. He reached his hand out and Bon took it. “Not good?” Rin asked a second or two later.

“Uh,” It wasn’t a bad thing, he just hadn’t expected it. He wasn’t sure how to react. His face was warm and his chest felt twisty with surprise and embarrassment and delight. He didn’t kno-

“I’ve got a million of them,” Rin assured and swayed closer, “trust me, handsome.” The halfling kissed his cheek and Bon flushed even redder.

“Wh-what?” 

Rin’s smile was utterly devious. “You heard me, babe.”

Oh _shit._ He was not going to make it through the day. Hell, he wasn’t even going to make it out of this school at this rate.

“We, uh, dorm?” His mind felt like it was skittering through thoughts because Rin was using endearments and he had not been prepared. He was so glad there was no one around because he was a blushing mess and it was obviously just egging Rin on. He needed a moment to compose himself and it was probably not going to happen.

Rin nodded and wrapped his tail around Bon’s arm. He tugged him away from the lockers and Bon helplessly followed. 

“Just so you know, I’m going to make you hold onto my tail during the entire thing.” 

Bon nodded his head and took a deep breath to try and clear his mind a little. They’d agreed to try a kind of introduction at Rin’s dorm. The halfling wanted to start with a simple conversation and it had taken him almost an hour of coaxing to get Rin to agree to that much.

“You, uh, want me to use it against you?” His voice cracked a little and he had to swallow. They were almost outside. 

“Sure do, darling.” 

He tripped a little and Rin’s grin got even bigger. He gave the halfling as stern a glare as he could manage with bright red cheeks.

“This,” Rin purred, “is going to be so _much_ fun.” The halfling swung their hands as they headed towards the dorm. They (finally) made it outside of the school and into the crowd of students that always seemed to hang around the entrances. 

“Handsome, Babe, and Darling have the kind of reaction I want.” Rin added after a moment. Bon had almost managed to gain control of his blush and he promptly lost it. Rin eyed his red face (Bon did _not_ miss the way he licked at his fangs) and sped up.

Bon kept pace because he didn’t want to be flustered again while they were still outside. 

Bon tugged the door to Rin’s dorm open and held it for Rin who went in with a cheerful bounce in his step. Bon followed after him and (almost) immediately regretted it. 

“Want a snack first, sweetums?”

He couldn’t hold in a loud, disbelieving, laugh. “Really?” He would not take sweetums. He kind of liked a few of the others (he wasn’t going to investigate the way his stomach kept flipping and his heart was hammering) but he would not let sweetums slide. 

Rin nodded, utterly unabashed. “Yeah, ‘cause you’re sweet.” He licked his lips and dragged his eyes over Bon like he was looking at a tasty meal. He blushed again. 

“Knock that one off the list.” He managed. Rin shrugged and wandered towards the kitchen. Bon trailed slowly after him and tried to think of a way to turn the tables back on Rin. He’d never really thought about pet names. (He wasn’t opposed and he was a little embarrassed that he liked it.) His mom used pet names for his father but his dad typically just called her dear or beautiful. Neither of them used pet names on him. He’d always been their Ryuuji or Ryu.

He’d been jokingly called a lot of things. Rooster, Gorilla, Princess, Nerd, know-it-all… Rin called him Ryu a lot and there was always Bon but…

(Shit, he was blushing just thinking about it.)

Rin came back with a bowl of chips and a plate of vegetables. Bon grabbed the drinks and led the way to the common room. He set the drinks on the table and plopped down on the couch. Rin cautiously set the snacks down and made a show of organizing things.

“Rin,” Bon coaxed gently, “it’s gonna be fine.” He reached out for Rin’s hand and smiled when Rin took it. “Come on, I trust ya.”

Rin flushed adorably and sat next to him. His tail coiled nervously around Bon’s arm and the fluffy tip tickled his jaw. 

“You’ll call me out if it gets bad, dumpling?”

“I’ll cal-dumpling?”

Rin shrugged. “I really like dumplings.” His long fingers trailed along Bon’s free arm. “And I really like you.” 

Bon didn’t even fight the silly smile and bright blush this time. “I really like you too.” He scooted a little closer. “Don’t stress. He hasn’t hurt me. You’ve got control.” He bumped his shoulder against Rin’s, careful of his tail, and continued. “I trust ya,” he swallowed, blushed bright red, and gathered his courage, “bluebell.”*

Rin’s eyes went utterly wide and the silliest, happiest grin lifted his lips. His cheeks turned pink and- before Bon could brace himself- surged forward and pressed a smiley kiss to Bon’s lips. (He needed to brace because Rin’s kisses always filled his stomach with a rambunctious swarm of chuchi and _smiling_ kisses added heart flutters.)

Rin kissed him a few more times, soft, reassuring kisses, and pulled back. He tightened his grip around Bon’s hand. “See you again in a moment, hot stuff.”

Bon nodded. Rin shuddered and, in the time it took to blink, his features morphed into his demonic form. 

“Ryuuji,” the demon slurred around his large fangs. Rin’s tail started to unwind from his arm but Bon managed to snag the end before it got away. He’d made a promise and, even if he didn’t intend to use it cruelly, he’d keep his promise.

“Hi,” he tried for a smile that came out a little stiff. He had no idea what to expect. “How you feelin’?”

Rin’s hand slid up to curl around his trapezius. “Hungry.” 

He popped his mouth open to ask what that meant but before he could form the words Rin was back in control and pulling away with an angry scowl.

“Rin?”

The halfling shook his head. “He was trying to kiss you.”

Bon’s eyes widened in surprise. “Huh?”

Rin’s hands settled on his knees and he pushed himself up so he was half sitting, half crouched. “You heard me, baby.”

“Nope.”

“Nope on hearing me or nope on baby?”

Bon scowled. “You know which.” 

Rin smirked, fangs slipping over his lips. “Okay, sugar.” 

He shook his head, (he was barely blushing now and he was counting it as a win) “You really do have a million of those.” 

Rin nodded and kissed his nose. (The blush was back full swing.)

“Uh,” he swallowed, “wanna try again?”

Rin sat stiffly. He nodded and shuddered back into his demonic form. His lips immediately quirked up into a devious smile. 

“Mmm,” He hummed, licking at the tip of a fang. “Hello, Ryuuji.”

Bon tried to smile back but didn’t make it halfway through the movement before the demon was climbing onto his lap and reaching for his face.

"Wait-" He was hauled forward and the demon was going to kiss him-apparently conversations weren’t going to happen yet-

Rin was back in charge. He pulled away from Bon’s face and sat on his lap with a scowl. At that point he seemed to realize his position and he blushed a very bright red. Bon’s hands promptly found their way to Rin’s hips to hold him in place. His boyfriend shuffled a little closer until there were a scant few inches between their faces. They shared the same air for an endless moment, eyes on each other, cheeks warm, and Bon couldn’t help but squeeze Rin a little closer.

“Can I kiss you?” Rin blurted, his lips almost brushing against Bon’s.

“Please do.”

* * *

It didn’t go any better. 

Rin would let the demon out and within two minutes the demon would be booted out and Rin would be back in control. Apparently the demon was a handsy little shit and would not stop trying to get his mitts on Bon. Bon wasn’t opposed to hand holding or some arm and shoulder touching but he wasn’t quite on board for a kiss or grope yet. He could hardly get a full sentence out before the demon was trying to get on him. He'd gotten a no out once and earned a ridiculous pout before the halfling's tail was trying to slip under his shirt.

It seemed like it might always be dangerous and, while he trusted Rin implicitly, he knew the demon part was greedy and slow to take orders. He was losing confidence in his ability to make the demon part of his boyfriend listen.

The nicknames also didn’t stop. Added to the already long list was: stud, muffin, hunky, honey, dear, k.o (he’d asked in confusion and found out it was knock out) and peach.

He’d added sunshine to his own list and got an excited tail wiggle in response. He was a bit embarrassed to use them but Rin’s reaction was almost enough to entirely distract him from that awkward feeling. Regardless, Bon was getting tired and he wanted this to get further along. He needed demon form Rin to calm down so he could move on to getting the human side of Rin comfortable with the two of them.

“Okay,” he sighed and rolled his neck, “let’s try it one more time.”

Rin’s calloused fingers brushed along his cheek. “You sure, sweet heart?”

His blush had pretty much become a permanent feature at this point so he didn’t react too much to the murmured endearment. (His heart did but Rin couldn’t see it so it didn’t count.)

“Yeah.” He cupped Rin’s cheek and pressed a quick kiss to his tempting lips. “I’m sure.” He started to drop his hand and Rin changed. The demon immediately pressed into the gentle touch of Bon’s hand and he froze. Rin didn't move away and didn't press for more contact. He just sat there, eyes wide and locked on Bon.

Huh.

“Ryuuji,” the demon garbled once more. It sounded a little like he was chewing on the name. He wondered if it was just that his mouth wasn’t the proper shape to form words easily or that demon Rin just didn’t have much experience talking with the new mouth shape.

“Hi, Rin.” He lifted his hand a bit higher, playing with Rin’s flame covered hair. Rin tilted even further into the touch. He wasn’t making any moves to advance on Bon so that was a start. 

“Feels good.” 

Bon hummed in acknowledgement and had a random idea. He slid his hand a little further back and ran his fingers through the halfling’s long locks. Rin positively _melted_ at the action. His entire body relaxed; flames broke out over his full length, warm and bright, and he slumped towards Bon. 

“So,” he managed after a moment of stunned silence, “we haven’t talked much. You willing to listen now?”

Rin pried one red ringed eye open. “Boyfriend.”

He offered a small, encouraging, smile and kept running his fingers through Rin’s glittering hair. “Yeah. You’re my boyfriend.” 

“My Boyfriend.” Rin purred and leaned forward. “Sexy.”

Bon’s brow furrowed in mild confusion. Rin wasn’t trying to kiss him and his hands were still sitting loosely in his lap. It felt like a weird thing to say.

“Uh, thanks?” He shifted his hand a little and Rin slumped further forward. His eyes slipped shut and a satisfied rumble rose from his chest. His head lulled, giving Bon more access and his mouth popped open slightly. 

“Ryuuji,” Rin mumbled and Bon noticed his tail wiggle like it wanted to wag. His demonic boyfriend seemed to give himself a bit of a mental shake. “Sexy.”

“Thanks?” He tried again. 

Rin straightened a little and a brief look of irritation flitted across his face. Bon dug his fingers into the halfling’s scalp and his eyes rolled back at the apparently fantastic feel. Head rubs. Who in the hell would have guessed the secret to taming this demon was _head rubs._

Rin inhaled sharply and pried his eyes open for a moment. “No.” He muttered, “Sexy.” It seemed to take a lot of focus to manage those words and that was hilarious. He had to keep this secret. God knew who all could subdue the mighty Rin with a head rub.

Bon paused in his ministrations while he tried to figure out what his boyfriend was saying and Rin made a very disgruntled sound. He resumed running his fingers through the locks and rubbing at Rin’s scalp. The halfling shuddered and fell forward onto Bon’s lap. He curled up on his side and his tail latched around Bon’s arm. He tugged until Bon was stroking his hair again.

Rin gave an utterly satisfied noise that had Bon blushing. Apparently he really could tame this particular demon by head scratches. He should have tried this hours ago. He vaguely wondered if human Rin would enjoy them. (He liked the idea of Rin laying like this. He liked it a lot.) 

A red and blue eye popped open and peered up at him. “Sexy.” The demon smiled toothily. Rin was staring at him intently and he couldn’t quite help but feel like he was missing something obvious.

“Sexy?” He asked after a beat. Rin nodded hard. What was he trying to get-

Oh!

His stomach swooped as he realized what the demon was trying to do. His hand stilled for a second or two in utter surprise and Rin frowned. He resumed his petting and swallowed. His heart felt fluttery and his chest was once again full of chuchi. Today had been a day of flustered blushing. He couldn’t be right. He had to be reading this wrong.

Still...

“That your pet name for me?” Bon murmured softly and Rin’s lips quirked up in a satisfied, kind of sleepy, smile. 

“My Ryuuji. Sexy.”

Bon swallowed, throat thick as his brain scrambled to think of something to say in return. Rin’s nose brushed against his leg, inhaling deeply. He stared, playing with his boyfriend’s hair, and trying to think of a reply. He was giddy and a bit uncertain about this part of Rin but…

Well, there was an idea. He blushed and stilled his hand for a moment. Disgruntled eyes stared at him. 

“I, uh,” Rin twisted in his lap so his head was facing up towards him. Bon swallowed again and charged on. “Got one for you.”

Rin sat up, flames dancing in his hair. He leaned close, eyes hungry. Bon’s throat felt very dry at the intensity of those eyes.

“Tell me.” Rin ordered, flames flaring warmly against Bon’s skin. 

“Fireball.” He blurted ungracefully. Rin’s flames grew brighter and he had to squint. The halfling’s hand slid up his arms until they were cupping his jaw, he was leaning close again, his blasted grip was too strong for Bon to pull away and -

Rin was back in charge. Bon opened his eyes properly and saw a nervous Rin staring back at him. 

“Hey,” He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, “how you doing?”

Rin was blushing and not quite looking at him. His tail wrapped itself around Bon’s arm and jerked it up. He couldn’t help but laugh as he buried his hand in Rin’s hair and rubbed at his scalp. Rin shuddered, flames dancing along his hair as he leaned against Bon’s chest. 

“That feels incredible.” Rin mumbled against his neck.

“Kinda gathered that.”

His boyfriend shivered and squeezed his hip. “Shit. He wants back out, gorgeous.”

Bon blushed and tried not to look like he was. “Well it didn’t go so bad. We might be able to talk soon.” Bon shrugged and pulled Rin back a little so he could look at him. His heart thumped at the way Rin was looking at him so openly. There was a lot of trust in those beautiful eyes and it just... It made him feel almost light-headed. Rin would knock a demon out of his head just so Bon was comfortable. He knew it wasn't easy for him to fight that part of himself. Especially not for so long.

“He wants to kiss you.” Rin pouted. “But _I_ wanna kiss you, pumpkin.”

He grinned and decided to hell with it. He was joining the name game. “Sure thing, hottie.”

Flames danced along Rin’s form as Bon was promptly, and deeply, kissed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * two things with this. Bluebells are flowers, obviously, but apparently a common japanese nickname method is to choose something that goes with a different kanji reading of their names. Rin (which is the kanji for phosphorescent) can also be written as bell. So a nickname for someone named Rin might be ‘bell’ Bluebell is just a more personalized version of that for Rin. Bluebell flowers represent gratitude and constancy also. Just so you know ;)  
> Fireball works the same way, lol.
> 
> I had _way_ too much fun making up nicknames. I love the idea of Ryuuji being a blushing mess when Rin flirts openly with him. This story is basically going to have all the random head cannons I never got a chance to put in my other story or really play with, lol.
> 
> Anyone have a cool/fun endearment?


	5. Repellents and Wards Do Not a Good Time Make

_Watch out for demon repellents. Not a lot to say about that. Just… They’re everywhere and in stupid places. Society has been aware of and alarmed by demons for a long time. Their suspicious and protective magic has worked itself into everything. Plants, clothing, houses, gardens, holy buildings, even occasional restaurants. It’s going to get really, really, old. Study up on the subject and keep your eyes peeled._

_And for god sake, avoid religious paraphernalia._

* * *

Bon had a date in a handful of minutes and he couldn’t decide if he wanted to ditch the flowers. They’d been an impulsive decision when he saw the shop. His father was always buying his mother flowers and he’d suddenly wanted to do the same for Rin. His boyfriend seemed to really appreciate romantic gestures. Bon had even caught him blushing a few, wonderful, times. 

(He would never admit it, but of the two of them Bon was the one that blushed a lot.)

Now though… Now he was staring at himself in the reflection of the glass door and he couldn’t help but feel he looked a little silly. His slacks were worn, his red shirt wasn’t anything fancy, and the flowers… well he hadn’t been able to afford a lot of them so it wasn’t a very big bouquet. He looked poor and stupid. 

Did Rin even like flowers?

No, he was being ridiculous. He had spent the money, he was going to give them to Rin. He just wouldn’t make it a big thing. He could play it off as a joke if he needed to. 

He shoved the door open and strode down the hall louder than he needed to. Rin sprang out of the common room with an excited exclamation. The halfling was in a pair of jeans and his favorite 39 t-shirt. Rin hurried towards him, tail wagging wildly, and paused after three steps. His head tilted to the side like a curious cat.

“Tiger? Did you get me flowers?” His tail wiggled again with excitement. Bon nodded, eyes locked on Rin’s goofy smile and his bright eyes. He was _almost_ used to the changing nicknames at this point. 

Rin’s tail moved into a full wag and his lips spread in an even wider smile. Flowers were a win. Hell yes, they were a win. Shit, he was going to get with Shiemi and give Rin flowers more often so he could see that enormous smile. (So what if he was weak for his boyfriend’s smile? It was a great smile.)

Bon realized he was just standing there, staring at Rin like an idiot. “Uh, yeah.” 

The door opened behind them and shut a moment later. “Oh, hello, Suguro.” Yukio shuffled past them without paying any real attention as he headed towards the stairwell. 

Bon might have responded. He couldn’t really tell if his mouth moved or not. Rin shuffled closer, his hand wrapping around Bon’s. He stared a moment (or minutes, he had no idea) longer and promptly shoved the flowers towards Rin because that was the point. Rin accepted them with a blush and lowered his eyes to look at the various blooms. He’d bought most of them at the shop and found the rest growing wildly nearby. 

Tiger Lilies, daisies, gardenias, and meadowsweet. Rin had no reason to know it but the bouquet was one he’d seen his father give his mother a few times. Typically before he left for some business with True Cross for a while. It was a bit more sentimental an action than he’d typically admit to but it was what he did. 

Rin lifted the bouquet closer to his face and took a deep breath. Everything was soft and sweet for a tender moment, and then it very much was not.

Rin’s face twitched, his features briefly elongating into his demon form before they smoothed back out. He sneezed, twice, and flames flickered in his hair. He twitched, hard, and his features once again shifted.

“I-” Rin started but he couldn’t get anything else out before he started to sneeze even harder. Flames covered more of his body with each sneeze until suddenly he was on fire and the floor was on fire and, actually, everything but Bon and the flowers was on fire. 

“Rin?” Bon grabbed Rin’s arms and guided him towards the wall so he could have something to lean on. “What’s wrong?” He moved one hand to Rin’s hair and cupped the back of his head so he could get a better look at his face.

“Can’t-” Rin sneezed violently and collided backwards and into the wall. Bon hand took the brunt of the hit and Rin’s neck arched.

There was a rash spreading down his throat and along his jaw. Panic shot through Bon like a bullet.

“Yukoi!” He shrieked a little more hysterically than he meant to. “Help!” There was a moment or two of nothing and then a thunder of feet. 

Yukio came storming down the stairs, guns drawn and ready to fire. He rushed towards them, paused, took a quick inventory of their situation, and seemed to relax slightly. 

“What-Rin?”

Bon motioned him over. “Come on! He can’t stop sneezing!” He started to move out of the space so Yukio could look Rin over but the halfling’s tail wrapped around his wrist and held him firmly in place. He shuffled to the side as much as he could.

Yukio approached Rin with a frown and scanned him quickly. He seemed to zero in on the problem and nodded. A tense, silence filled moment followed during which Yukio pulled something out of his pocket and shoved it in Rin’s mouth. The halfling gagged at the taste of whatever it was but Yukio’s glare was enough to make Rin swallow. 

“Suguro?” Yukio asked quietly, “What was in that bouquet?”

“Huh?” His hand reached for Rin but he snatched it back. He didn’t understand but somehow he’d hurt his boyfriend.

“The bouquet!” Yukio snapped. “What was in it?”

“Tiger Lilies?” He sputtered, “Daisies, gardenias, and, uh, meadowsweet?”

Yukio looked over his shoulder, utterly nonplussed. “Are you kidding me?”

Rin pushed off the wall and reached for him. Bon grabbed the seeking hand in his own. He clutched it tight and tried to move a little closer.

“Suguro, those are warding flowers.”

Bon frowned in confusion. Rin’s hand was warm and he was getting his color back. He’d put out most of the fire. “Huh?” Bon asked, his eyes locked on Rin.

Yukio stared at him like he was rather slow. “They’re anti-demon.”

“But,” Bon sputtered, “They’re not magical!”

Yukio glared at him. “Suguro, all plants have some magical properties. Most are just useless properties.” He motioned towards the flowers on the floors. “That’s a protective bouquet. They all amplify each other to create a very effective ward.” 

Bon blinked down at the strewn flowers. His father brought them to his mother when he wasn’t going to be around the inn. Holy shit. His father had made her something to help protect her when he wasn’t there to do it himself. 

And Bon had just _poisoned_ his boyfriend.

“Oridinarily,” Yukio continued, “I would be very annoyed that you failed to remember something I discussed in class, but I’m fairly certain we covered this during the…” He trailed off and adjusted his glasses. “Well, it was at a difficult time.” 

Bon had no idea when they covered that subject. He’d always diligently taken notes but there was a lot of shit that had happened last year. A _lot_ of shit.

He felt nauseous. “Rin, I-” He couldn’t figure out what to say. He’d hurt him. He’d hurt Rin and it was something he should have known. He should have studied harder and remembered and checked the damn plants. Remembering was the cornerstone of being an Aria. It was his job to remember important things and he’d forgotten and he hurt his boyfriend.

Rin slipped away from Yukio and tucked himself against Bon’s side. “That makes up for the kiwi, I guess.” He grinned toothily like Bon hadn’t just hurt him.

Yukio picked the flowers up. “I’ll dispose of these for you-”

Rin’s free hand shot forward. “No! Don’t throw them away!” He looked desperate and scared for the fate of his flowers. Bon didn’t get it. They’d hurt him and he was acting like it would be painful to get rid of them.

“Hey,” Bon tugged him back, “it’s fine. They’re just-”

Rin stomped his foot. “No! I want them.”

Yukio sighed like he was tired of dealing with this sort of thing. “Rin, they’re poisonous to you.”

Rin pouted. “So separate ‘em out.”

Yukio pulled the flowers out of Rin’s reach. “Rin, you can’t-”

Bon reached forward. “I’ll do it.” He didn’t want Rin anymore upset and even though he wanted to chuck the flowers in the garbage he could tell Rin actually wanted them. He didn’t know why but it was obvious. Rin’s tail was even standing stiffly in the air.

Yukio shook his head. “I really don’t think-”

Rin’s demonic half took over. His face morphed and a snarl left his lips. “Give. It. _Back._ ” He clutched Bon’s hand too tightly and glared at his twin.

Yukio blew out a tired breath and passed Bon the flowers. He took them and tried to keep them as far away from Rin’s face as he could. Rin was still snarling so Bon let go of his hand and slipped his fingers through his boyfriend’s hair. Rin’s tail thrashed and dropped down as his shoulders released their tension under the massage of Bon’s fingers.

“Uh,” Bon mumbled, “we’re… we’re going to put these in some water. Thank you, Sensei.”

Yukio eyed them both. “I suggest checking with myself or Shiemi in the future before you purchase flowers.” He left the room with a last unhappy look at his twin and went towards the stairs. 

Bon waited until Yukio was upstairs to move his hands off Rin. He trudged down the hall, avoiding eye contact, and trying not to think about the large amount of guilt churning in his gut. He’d messed up badly and it had been a stupid thing to mess up on. He didn’t know _when_ Yukio had taught on the flowers but there was no excuse for him to have missed it. He should have paid attention. He should have known. He should have helped his boyfriend and not just stood there uselessly. He was supposed to be the smart one in the group. He was supposed to know this sort of shit so he could keep them safe. 

He went towards the kitchen and didn’t notice Rin following him. He got to the door and pushed it out of his way with a sigh. He set the flowers in the sink and turned the water on glumly.

Rin sat four large cups next to him. “Gummy-bear?”

It wasn’t until Rin’s hand lighted on his back that Bon realized his boyfriend was talking to him. Another new endearment. 

“I’m sorry.” He muttered as he snipped the ends of the stems. “I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.” 

Rin’s hand slid up his back until he was massaging the base of Bon’s neck. “I know that, honey-pot. You bought me flowers.” His tail wagged through the air, the familiar ‘whoosh’ sound strangely comforting. “No one’s ever gotten me flowers before.”

Rin sneezed and Bon slumped with guilt again. Rin shuffled behind him and his boyfriend wrapped his arms around him. He leaned into the hold and tried to speed up. The sooner he got done with this the sooner he could move on and forget he’d done this.

He separated the flowers into the cups so that they wouldn’t be amplified. Rin waited until he turned the water off and then he was being turned around and crowded against the counter. Rin stretched up against him, thin fingers curling around his biceps as bright blue eyes peered at him. He was still for an endless second during which Bon couldn’t breathe. 

Their lips touched, Rin fitting them together gently. He kissed him once, twice, three, four times and finally, Bon was no longer stiff and upset. He loosened up into the touch and let himself fall into the soft kisses. Rin pressed closer, his hands rising to cup Bon’s cheek possessively. It should have been a turn off but it hadn’t been yet. It made him feel wanted and hot and he didn’t resist when Rin licked at his lips. He let the halfling in and it became a messy, competitive kiss. Rin’s thumb brushed over his cheek, a small touch that made something in Bon spark to vibrant life. He clutched Rin’s hips, hauling him as close as he could while the fire in his chest built larger and larger until he couldn’t breathe.

When it was over Bon’s head felt like it was spinning and his legs were embarrassingly weak. Rin stared up at him, lips kiss swollen and tempting, and smirked.

“Come on, bugaboo. We’re going to an abandoned room where Yukio won’t bother us and Ukobach won’t show up.”

Bon nodded because there was no way he was passing that offer up. His boyfriend considered the groups of flowers and chose the tiger lilies. He grabbed the cup and Bon’s hand and headed for the stairs. 

Rin wasted no time getting into his space once they were in the room. His boyfriend wrapped around him, all warm arms and fiery kisses as Rin’s tail took care of shutting the door. Bon distantly heard a lock click as Rin nibbled on his lips and, he did not notice Rin moving him towards the bed. The first thing he noticed that wasn't Rin's mouth against his was the bed frame knocking against the back of his legs. Rin shoved him until he was sitting on the bed and then perched himself on his lap. 

Bon stared at his boyfriend for all of ten seconds before surging forward and kissing his way down Rin’s throat. His boyfriend made a really ridiculous sound and buried his hand in Bon’s hair to encourage the attention. He worked the skin above Rin’s collar bone, confident the hickey, if it stayed, would be coverable by his shirt.

“Ryuuji,” Rin gasped and tugged on his hair. “Shit-you gotta,” Rin tugged his head again so Bon pulled away from his boyfriend’s gorgeous throat. 

Rin had bitten his lips bloody and he had a wild look in his eyes. He blinked once and shot forward, fangs longer than they should be which should probably frighten Bon but he was happily along for this ride. 

Rin nuzzled his cheek and pressed closer before nibbling along to Bon’s ear. Bon’s breath hitched in surprise and enjoyment as Rin’s tail slid up his arm. “Sexy,” Rin murmured, Bon’s eyes widened as he realized the demon half had taken over. Sharp teeth closed around his ear cuff, pulled, and -

Rin yipped like a hurt puppy and drew back. His hand flew to cover his lip and Bon’s heart leapt in alarm. 

“Rin?! You-” He caught Rin’s hands and tugged them away so he could get a look and saw Rin’s lip bloody and puffy. “What happened?”

Rin scowled. “Earring.” He grumbled. The demonic features twitched, morphing back into his Rin. “That _hurt.”_ He grumbled.

“What hurt?”

“Your earring.” Rin dabbed at his lip. It was already healing itself.

Bon gaped in utter confusion. He’d missed something. Again. “My earring?”

Rin nodded and poked at his lip. “Burned like a bitch.” Blue eyes peered at his ear curiously. He reached out and poked at Bon’s ear cuff with his nail. “Kinda tingles now.”

Bon pushed Rin’s hand away and felt for the earring. He unclasped it and studied it with a frown. It was one his mother had given him last christmas. It was silver but it wasn’t like it was-

Shit.

“Punky-poo?”

He raised an unimpressed eyebrow despite the sinking feeling in his gut. Rin just smirked cheekily, utterly unaware that Bon had once again hurt him.

“Blessed silver.” He muttered. “That’s gotta be what did it.”

Rin’s eyes widened and his gaze dropped to the small silver cuff. “Blessed? Shouldn’t it have like… verses on it or somethin’?”

Bon shook his head. “Nah. You can bless silver by chanting over it. This one’s blessed ‘cause I’m an aria and I wear it a lot.”

Rin beamed. “That’s so cool! Are all your earrings blessed?” The halfling pressed closer and tugged on his wrist with his tail so Bon had his arm wrapped around Rin’s waist. He looked excited and not upset that Bon had essentially poisoned him twice in the same day. Hell, the same hour.

“This is the only silver one I have. The rest are only partly silver so probably not.” 

Rin slouched. “Are they expensive? I like the idea of your head being demon repellent in a fight.”

Bon tugged him close, marvelling at the ridiculous boy he was utterly crazy about. “You know, most people would be mad I’d just poisoned them.”

Rin draped his arms around Bon’s neck and leaned in until their noses were barely touching. His tail released Bon’s wrist so it could wag cheerfully through the air. 

“I find it sexy.” Rin babbled against his lips. “You're dangerous and smart and able to take care of yourself. ‘Sides,” Rin’s lips trailed along his cheek, “I heal real quick.” Sharp teeth nipped at his ear distractingly before Rin pulled back and considered him with a smirk that showed his fangs.

“Now I’mma kiss you senseless for a little while and then we’re gonna find a place for all the flowers.” Rin glanced at the cup of tiger lilies and his smile grew larger. 

(Bon dropped the earring in the following messy makeout and it took them almost twenty minutes to find it again. He still had no complaints.)

* * *

[zimny-soldat](https://zimny-soldat.tumblr.com/post/636600436945829888/heres-some-art-i-made-for-tonguetiedravens-work) on tumblr made me fanart for this story <3

and piece #2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is part 1 of 2 on the demon repellent thing :D Next chapter we're looking at holidays *mischievous laughter* 
> 
> A million thanks to Alex for helping me sort out the issues on this chapter. You continue to rock in every way.
> 
> Also, shout out and a heartfelt thanks to zimny-soldat for the adorable fanart!!! (I'd never gotten fanart before and I squealed embarrassingly loud when I saw it.)


	6. Have a Holly Jolly Headache

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warning!**
> 
> This chapter describes a character with a cold. It might be triggering to people who are anxious about covid. I promise it's largely fluffy and snuggly but I don't want anyone getting upset/anxious because of a failure on my part.

_ Also for the anti-demon wards: some holidays are riddled with anti-demon magic. Best to stay in on those days and just cuddle until they feel better. Avoid the singing and the food. Those are laced with magic even if the singers and bakers don’t know it. Make your own food and don’t underestimate the value of noise canceling headphones. They'll have symptoms of a hangover the next day as well. Make sure they take some pain relievers.  
_

* * *

“Suguro, wait a moment, please.” 

Bon finished gathering his items together and glanced over at where his boyfriend was waiting. Rin watched him, fangs peeking between his lips.

“Of course, Sensei.” He went to the desk Yukio was standing behind and motioned for Rin to wait outside. The halfling did with an untrusting glance back. 

“Do you have plans tomorrow evening?”

“For the festival? Not really, sir.”

Yukio, who had been gathering a few piles of paper together, nodded. “I see.” He glanced at the door. “Rin, walk away.” There was a faint huff and the sound of footfalls. Yukio waited another moment. “Would you mind stopping by our dorm tomorrow evening? I’ll be out and I’d rather not leave Rin alone during the festival. It’s not as powerful as it used to be, especially outside of Tokyo, but it still weaves enough of a spell that it leaves him feeling ill.”

Bon wrote that in his memory banks and made plans to bring some sukiyaki to his boyfriend tomorrow night. 

He nodded. “I can do that.” 

Yukio did a thing where he softened his expression. It was the nearest he got to a smile since all the demon drama. “Thank you. Make certain he doesn’t go outside. He can be slippery.”

Bon could only chuckle and nod. Rin could be very slippery. 

Bon brought the sukiyaki and a bag full of additional items the next day along with a change of clothes. He let himself into the dorm and called out his boyfriend’s name. 

He waited a moment and faintly heard Rin call back from the common room. He headed that way and found Rin on the couch, buried under a blanket with puffy eyes and a running nose. 

“You okay, sunshine?” He asked softly and deposited his overnight bag by the door. He set the sukiyaki on the table and noticed that the daisies were sitting on it. He smiled a little and knelt next to Rin.

Rin hid his face in his blanket. “I’m a mess.” He muttered.

“I brought some tissues? And some chamomile? Shiemi thought it might help.”

Blue eyes peeked out at him behind sweaty bangs and the edge of his blanket. “Don’t look at me.” 

Bon kissed his forehead. Rin’s poor head felt kind of clammy. Every mothering instinct he pretended not to have was roaring to life and demanding he take care of his teen. He wrapped his arms around Rin and squeezed him tight. 

A disgruntled meow sounded from the depths of the blanket. Bon released Rin in surprise and drew back to see an equally as miserable looking Kuro buried in the fluffy blanket. He reached forward and scratched the furry cheek. 

“Either of you hungry? I brought sukiyaki.” 

Rin opened his mouth to answer right as his stomach growled. What Bon could see of his face flushed a cute pink. 

“I’m sorry, bluebell.” He kissed Rin’s forehead again and drew back to the table to get the food ready. Rin shifted around on the couch and adjusted the blanket so his arms were free. Kuro burrowed his way back in and whined. Bon passed his boyfriend a dish and set a smaller one for Kuro in his lap. He settled next to Rin and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Rin pressed back against him immediately.

For a moment his heart fluttered happily because Rin was close and leaning against him in a trusting way but it evaporated as he got a good look. 

Rin looked  _ awful _ . His boyfriend was a perky person even on his bad days but Bond had never seen him ill. He’d seen him heal from a variety of horrific injuries but never fighting something like a bug. 

Rin was pale, sweaty, with dark rings around his puffy, red ringed eyes. His nose was runny and rubbed nearly raw and his lips were chapped. Bon wanted to wrap him in the softest of blankets and get him back in bed to sleep. He looked so tired and small and it wasn’t right at all. Rin was boundless energy and excitement and this stupid holiday was making him the exact opposite. It wasn’t his fault that he was born a halfling. 

Kuro’s nose peeked out from the blanket and sniffed the food. His paw shot out and dragged away some of the meat from the dish. 

“Does this happen every Setsubun?” Bon slipped his hand into Rin’s hair. The locks were a little damp but he didn’t mind.

Rin leaned his head against Bon’s shoulder and sighed. “Yeah. It’s gotten worse since the sword broke.” He sneezed loudly and bright flames flared out of his hair. Bon fetched a tissue and passed it to him. Rin blew his nose loudly and burned the tissue away. He wiped the soot off on the blanket.

“I hate this.” The halfling muttered around bites of sukiyaki. “Being sick sucks and this is stupid. It’s a holiday.” He pouted. “I love Setsubun.”

“Really?” Bon ruffled his hair and felt his boyfriend relax a little. “You like throwing beans at people?” 

Rin finished his sukiyaki and sat back. “I used to sneak out when I lived at the monastery to watch the festivities. The old-man never celebrated. I didn’t get it then but it kinda makes sense now.”

Bon tugged him closer. He didn’t know a lot about Shirou, Rin never spoke about him too much, but everything he had learned about the former Paladin made him seem calculating and caring. At least about the twins. He wondered if Shirou had not celebrated the holiday in case it awakened Rin or so that Rin wouldn’t have the experience of the monks trying to chase him out as a demon. 

It was kind of him either way.

Rin flopped over on his lap and sneezed hard. “This sucks.”

Bon had planned on waiting to reveal what he’d brought but he hated sad Rin. 

“Hey,” he murmured and tapped his boyfriend’s head, “I got ya somethin’.”

Rin peeked up at him from under his blanket. “Huh?” His tail thumped weakly. “What?”

Bon lifted him up gently and slipped out from under his head. He deposited his boyfriend back on the cushion and shuffled over to his bag. He poked around in it until he found the item he wanted. He retrieved it and hid it behind his back as he walked back to Rin a little self-consciously. 

“Uh, it’s not much.” 

Rin sat up and swayed. Bon reached for him and caught hold of his shoulder. He supported him upright and shuffled closer.

“Gimme,” Rin managed around a cough, “please.”

He pulled the small stuffed animal from behind his back and passed it towards Rin. His boyfriend grabbed the stuffed owl and gazed down at it with bleary eyes. He blinked, sniffed, and clutched it close.

“Ryu-” Rin’s voice cracked and Bon watched, mildly horrified, as fat tears began to spill down his boyfriend’s cheeks.

“Shit! I didn’t-”

Rin caught his wrist with his tail and jerked him forward. His boyfriend’s arm wrapped around his waist and tugged him down in a tight hug that wasn’t quite as strong as it should be. He returned it after a confused moment. 

“Thank you.” Rin said into his chest. “I love owls and you remembered and-” He pulled back sharply and sneezed dramatically. Bon fetched a tissue and Rin wilted.

“I wanna cuddle but I’m gross.” 

Bon shrugged. “I brought my pajamas. I can go ahead and get in them and then it won’t matter if ya get me messy.”

Rin rubbed at his eyes and sniffed wetly. “I’d like that.” Kuro whined from the discarded blanket.

Bon nodded and kissed Rin’s forehead. He changed as quickly as he could and returned with an extra blanket. Rin had flopped over and was staring at the wall in a daze. He strolled over, lifted Rin’s head, sat down, and propped him, on his lap. Rin blinked, coughed, flared with fire, and looked up at him. 

He could faintly hear music from outside and he wondered how close the festival had gotten. 

Rin groaned and twitched. His features shifted, morphing into his demonic form. His body shimmered with fire and he flopped his hand towards Bon with a scowl. The effort seemed to take too much from Rin and the halfling started to slip off the edge of the couch. Bon caught him before he could roll off the couch and onto the floor. 

“Woah,” he brushed Rin’s flaming bangs back, “I gotcha.” Rin grunted something Bon couldn’t even pretend to decipher. The music outside seemed to get louder and Rin’s entire body trembled. 

Shit. There was probably some magic in the music. He clamped his hands over Rin’s ears and looked around in a mild panic. There was a tv… they could watch something. Anything would work. 

He found the remote after a moment of searching and turned the tv on as quickly as he could. He flipped over to some anime he didn’t recognize and turned the volume up loud enough that the music couldn’t be heard. 

Rin sneezed himself off of Bon’s lap, demonic features twitching. 

“Come on,” Bon helped him upright and unwound the damp blanket from him. He tossed it to the corner and pulled out a fresh blanket from his bag. Rin watched him, eyes watery and red, stuffed owl and Kuro clutched to his chest. The cat didn’t seem to notice he’d been moved. He was laying against the doll with his mouth open and drool falling from his mouth. 

Bon knelt in front of him and wrapped the blanket around his trembling shoulders. He brushed his boyfriend’s bangs out of his eyes gently and restrained himself (barely) from kissing Rin’s nose again.

“Ryuuji.” Rin murmured wetly. He set Kuro and the doll aside and wrapped his arms around Bon’s neck in a weak hug. He squeezed for a moment before he sprang back and sagged against the cushion.

Bon settled in the corner of the couch. He lifted his arm and motioned for Rin to snuggle up against him.

“I can’t.” Rin shook his head, nose runny and a miserable look on his face. 

Bon’s arm dropped. “What? Why not? Come on, I won’t bite.” 

“No,” Rin whined, “you’ll get… sick.” He frowned as he realized the obvious. Bon reached for him and tugged him closer. Rin came with wide eyes and snuggled up against his side.

“Yeah, fire-ball.” He booped his boyfriend’s nose, feeling a little silly to be like this with the demon form of Rin but the bashful grin he received made up for it. “I can’t catch this.”

Bon looped his arm around Rin’s shoulder and tucked the halfling against his side. Rin curled against him with a yawn and flopped his head over on Bon’s shoulder. Kuro meowed pitfully from the other side of the couch and stood up on wobbly legs. Bon couldn’t figure out a way to fetch the cat without dislodging Rin. Kuro managed two steps before falling with a distressed meow. Bon hugged Rin closer and twisted in his seat. He got his hand on the scruff of Kuro’s neck, only squishing Rin a little, and lifted him up. He righted himself, kissed Rin’s nose as an apology, and deposited the cat in Rin’s lap.

He ran his fingers through Rin’s hair, rubbing lightly at the scalp and watched in mild amusement as Rin’s head lolled to the side and his mouth popped open. Rin’s entire body seemed to sag at the feel of the head rub. 

“Sexy,” Rin murmured, “good.” 

They sat like that for a few minutes, Rin sneezing and sporadically lighting on fire. The anime ended and Bon had a sudden thought.

“Do you have any medicine you should be taking?”

His Rin had taken back over at some point. “I dunno.” He croaked. “Yukio mentioned a note.” Rin yawned loudly, fangs flashing in the light of the tv. “Kitchen?”

Bon watched his head nod and suddenly the halfling was fast asleep. A flame flickered from his hair before dissipating. Kuro was making an almost purring noise in Rin’s lap so he was probably asleep too.

He sat still for exactly thirty seconds and then he set to very gently removing himself from Rin’s octopus like grip. Getting away from a clingy sleeper was always difficult but Rin had an extra limb on the average person. He had to unwrap his boyfriend’s tail five times before he finally got away. 

He tucked the blanket a little more securely around Rin and scratched Kuro’s head. He slipped as quietly down the hallway as he could manage and made his way to the kitchen. It was cold, empty, and dark which likely meant Ukobach wasn’t in. He hoped the demon was holed up with Mephisto and safe. Rin would be upset if the tiny chef was hurt.

It took him about ten minutes of searching to find the note where Yukio had put it. He’d stuck it on the fridge via magnet and left a few simple instructions on what Rin could eat and what Bon should do. 

He’d left an herbal tea blend for Rin that Bon immediately started boiling water for. He found the blue mug Rin liked best (Bon couldn’t help but notice he’d gotten it from Kyoto) and put a little honey in the brew so his boyfriend wouldn’t have to deal with the foul smelling tea.

“Ryuuji?!” 

Bon shot out of the room in a panic, not caring that the teapot was whistling. Rin was standing in the door way, flames dancing along his hair and shoulders. He was wrapped in the blanket and swaying. He looked scared.

“Rin, what is it? Is something wrong? Are you okay?” He hurried to his boyfriend’s side and didn’t have a chance to reach for him before Rin was wrapping him up in a snotty hug.

“You were gone.” He whimpered. “Thought I’d dreamed you but… owl…” He trailed off and slumped against Ryuuji. The stuffed owl fell from his arms and Bon barely caught him before he fell to the floor.

Somehow the halfling had fallen back asleep mid sentence. 

Bon huffed out an amused sigh and scooped Rin up bridal style. The tea was still screeching in the other room so now he had a mild problem. He carried Rin into the kitchen and decided he’d go for the unsanitary option. He could clean the kitchen up before they made breakfast tomorrow.

He deposited his snoring boyfriend on the counter and secured the blanket around him. He moved the tea off the stove, eyes darting to Rin’s sleeping face every few seconds. Bon’s smile was embarrassingly soft but it wasn’t his fault his boyfriend was adorable wrapped up in a blanket. He made the tea as quickly as he could and found a thermos to put it in. He set the no longer needed mug in the sink and added a bit of honey to the thermos so it wouldn’t taste as foul as it smelled. Hopefully the symptoms Rin had included a loss of taste and smell.

Bon turned back to Rin and frowned. 

Okay… carrying Rin and the thermos without making a mess… 

Bon had helped defeat the Impure King. He had faced off against Lucifer and a possessed Rin. He could manage this. 

Rin was lighter than he should be. He was easy to scoop up. Grabbing the thermos was a little more difficult with his arms full of Rin but Bon still made it work.

He trekked through the hallway and back to the common room. Kuro had rolled over to his back and was pawing at the air in his sleep. Bon somehow managed to sit down with Rin without dropping his boyfriend or the tea. 

Rin was doing the thing where his eyes were partly open and it should probably be weird how endearing Bon found it now. (His heart was all fluttery and that was  _ so _ embarrassing.) He didn’t want to wake him up if he was tired but he also couldn’t quiet the worried part of himself. Rin had sweat a lot.

“Rin,” he called gently, brushing sweaty bangs out of Rin’s eyes and being careful not to mess with his horns, “wake up, bluebell.”

Rin’s eyes slipped shut before opening properly. Bon passed him the thermos. 

“Drink up, please. You need your liquids.” 

Rin sat up the slightest bit and curled up against his chest. “Anyone ever tell you you’re a mother bear?”

Bon grunted noncommittally as Rin fiddled with the lid. “Drink, Rin.”

Rin laughed around a sneeze. “Rooster was a missnamer. You’re a mother hen.”

“Cluck cluck.” He deadpanned. “And it’s misnomer, not missnamer.”

“Nerd.” 

Bon tapped the top of his head. “Whatever, dork. Just drink.”

Rin’s head leaned against his chest as the halfling downed the probably still mildly scalding liquid. His nose scrunched up unhappily. 

“‘s awful.” 

Bon gave him a quick kiss as an apology. (He could taste the tea on Rin’s lips and it was horrible.)

They ended up sprawled out on the couch with Rin tucked between the cushions and Bon’s chest, mouth open, drooling on Bon’s shirt. Kuro flopped on the top of Bon’s head and was purring a little too loudly.

Bon fell asleep anyway, warm and happy. 

(Even the embarrassment of Yukio finding them the next morning was still worth it.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks lilynete for recommending Setsubun! Thanks Alex for giving me the idea for the ending line :D
> 
> And thanks to all of you for reading <3


	7. Overprotective is an Understatment

_You will likely notice that your significant other now has an increased sense of when you are injured. From what I’ve learned through research, it seems distressed humans put out some sort of scent. It will not take long for your nephilim/demon to pick up on it. Depending on your relationship, you might even notice them getting clingy and protective before you both become an item._

_Things to note about this._

_1) They’re going to be over protective. They will probably act like you are on death’s door and it is their duty in this life to make certain you are safe. It can be a bit much. Hell, it will be too much. They won’t really listen to reason until you get them calm. Good luck._

_2) They can sense some injuries/illnesses before you will. If they start acting randomly clingy or aggressive to other people, give yourself a check-over. You might have caught something._

_3) Avoid other people until they calm down and for god's sake, do not leave them without letting them know where you’re going. They will come and find you and it will not be pretty for anyone in their way._

* * *

It was probably only fair that the tables were turned on Bon. The day after Setsubun Rin was shy and kept darting bashful glances his way that were _so_ distracting. If he didn’t have classes he’d have cornered the halfling and kissed his shy smile until neither of them could properly breathe. 

They did have classes and Bon had to settle for a few quick glances and a moment of hand holding. They had hand to hand combat training after classes which meant his plans to kiss Rin silly had to wait. 

“Hey, Cuddle-Cakes,” Rin purred, coming up to his side and touching his arm lightly. 

“Really? How do you even come up with those?” 

Rin shrugged, a playful smile quirking his lips up. “I don’t know. They just pop in my head when I look at you, kitten.”

He paused part way through wrapping his hands. “Kitten? You think _kitten?”_

Rin nodded and shuffled closer. He was blushing. “You’re cute and cuddly with claws.”

“I’m not the one with claws, sunshine.”

The blush spread to Rin’s ear. “Uh, do you want to be partners?”

Bon nodded and passed Rin some wraps. “Sounds like fun.” 

It only took a moment for Rin to get his hands wrapped and Bon found them a mat to practice on. Konekomaru and Renzou had the mat beside them and Konekomaru looked resigned to his fate. He hated hand-to-hand training. 

Bon bowed to Rin to start the match and raised his hands defensively. Rin grinned mischievously and bounced in place. He jabbed forward, testing Bon’s defenses and Bon easily dodged the blow. This was going to be fun. Fighting with or against Rin was always an adrenaline rush and Bon was kind of addicted to it. (Kinda was a lie. Bon was a full addict.)

He grinned and bounced in place a little. “Gotta-”

Rin dropped his arms and frowned. He stepped forward, nostrils flaring. “Ryu?” Worry laced his tone.

Bon kept his guard up. “What is it?”

Renzou did an axe kick towards Konekomaru, who was not going to dodge in time, and- before Bon could see the movement coming mildly near his own head- Rin snatched Renzou’s foot out of the air and shoved him backwards onto the mat. The halfling hovered over Renzou, snarling as his face twisted into it’s demonic form. 

Bon was still for a confused moment. His brain kicked into gear and he realized just what had happened and grabbed Rin’s shoulders.

“Woah!” He exclaimed while Renzou tried to hold absolutely still and Rin snarled. “What the hell? Calm down, Rin.” He tugged his demonic boyfriend back. Rin stood and stepped backwards, still growling at Renzou, and blocked Bon from his friend. 

“Uh, what happened?” Rezou asked in the quietest of whispers. “Did he just snap?”

Bon tried to move around Rin so he could get a better view of what was happening. Rin shifted back in front of him and wrapped a hand around his wrist like that would stop him. (It would. Rin was obnoxiously strong.)

Okay… Different tactics needed. 

“Fireball?” Bon called gently, “can you let Rin have control? I need to understand what’s going on.” Rin shook his head and bared his teeth. Renzou and Konekomaru weren’t moving. Renzou looked annoyed and Konekomaru looked thoroughly confused.

Shura noticed they had a standoff going down and started towards them. Rin noticed her advancement and shoved Bon further back. Flames flared out of his skin and set up a barrier between them and the others.

“What the hell, Rin?” Shura muttered. 

Bon didn’t get it but he didn’t like where this was going. He brought his free hand up and wove it into Rin’s hair. His boyfriend stiffened and growled. His tail flicked angrily but Bon wasn’t dissuaded. Rubbing Rin’s head was something he’d started to get skilled at. 

“Hey,” he said as casually as he could manage while he dug his fingers into Rin’s scalp, “I don’t know what upset you but we’re all fine. There isn’t anything dangerous here.” His boyfriend relaxed a little under the head scratches and pressed his head against Bon’s hand. Konekomaru was eyeing his hand in confusement and Bon would be amused by that later. 

Right now he was firmly confused. At least he could count on the demon to enjoy the head scratches.

Rin sucked in a sharp breath and shivered. “Sexy hurt.” He muttered.

That didn’t make sense. “I’m not… hurt.” Bon’s voice trailed off as his vision started to vibrate and a _horribly_ familiar bright spot filled the edges of his vision. His fingers stilled in Rin’s hair and his stomach dropped.

Oh great. He had minutes before the pain would hit. A tingle started in the fingers of the hand that Rin was holding and began to climb up his arm. (Sure. Why not. Bring all the symptoms on. Perfect.)

Bon had suffered from migraines since he was a kid. He’d been coming home from school one day when the pain came out of nowhere and knocked him on his ass for the rest of the day and the exhaustion had taken him out for most of the next one as well. Since that horrible, terrible, no good day, he’d gotten them regularly. He knew a few triggers: stress, diet, weather, hormones, but they were impossible to entirely eliminate and loved to surprise him at inopportune times. At least this was just a training session and not an actual fight. He’d fought without his vision before but it _sucked._

Rin growled furiously. He jerked Bon around and before he could brace himself in anyway he was being hoisted over Rin’s shoulder like he was as heavy as a towel. 

“Ri-” He couldn’t manage more before Rin was bolting from the room with him in tow.

“What the hell?! Let me down!” He pounded at Rin’s back to absolutely no avail. The demon snapped his jaws in warning and darted down the empty Cram hallway until he’d reached Yukio’s classroom. 

Yukio’s head popped up as they entered the bright room. For the brief moment Bon was capable of seeing, it looked like the teacher was grading papers.

“Rin? What-Suguro?!”

The pain made itself known and his vision just… stopped. It wasn’t like his eyes were damaged or closed, they were still relaying information but his brain stopped receiving or processing it. It happened every time he had a migraine and the lights were too bright.

“Migraine.” Bon grunted as Rin continued further into the room and dumped him in the furthest corner from the door. Bon drew his knees to his chest and buried his head in them to block out the way too bright light. He wrapped his head over his arms and tried to inhale as the pain started in his right eye. 

There wasn’t really any way of describing migraines. Pain was the only word there was but it was used for _everything_ and couldn’t relay the feelings. It was like something molten hot was shoving its way through your eyes and stirring your brain around. While it stirred your now broken brain it also caused your brain to expand so it felt like it was going to blow your agonized head apart.

And the most frustrating part was that you wanted that to happen. Because, if your brain exploded, the pain would at least end.

The door to the room slammed. Bon’s entire body twitched and the nausea punched through his stomach.

“Suguro,” Yukio lowered in front of him and spoke softly. It was still too loud for Bon’s head but it was a million times better than the loud door, “how can I help?”

“Trash can.” He blurted because he was going to hurl. “Meds.”

Yukio rushed across the room while Rin paced by the door and growled. “Rin!” The teacher hissed a little too loudly. “Turn off the lights!” He returned to Bon with a trash can right as the lights went out.

“Who has your meds?”

“They’re in my bag. Konekomaru and Shima also carry them.”

“Rin,” Yukio muttered in utter irritation. “Why did you bring him here?”

Rin snarled and stomped across the room. He was too bright and the pain was getting worse. Rin crouched next to him, still on fire and it felt like the light was trying to boil his brain. 

And that was the moment the door banged open and Shura stomped in. “What the hell, Rin?” She shouted and that was all for Bon.

There was half a second warning before his stomach decided it was done holding his lunch. He launched himself towards the waste bin, his shoulder collided with Rin’s chest, and he threw up everything in his stomach.

Yukio darted across the room and grabbed Shura. He dragged her outside as Rin snapped out a threat in a language Bon could not understand.

Pushing the basket away, Bon slumped against the wall and tried to hide his face from the light and noise. This was happening. Someone please kill him. End the misery before the embarrassment could properly sink in.

The door slammed shut once more and Bon couldn’t stop a whimper of pain.

Hot-far too hot- hands dropped on his back. Clawed fingers dragged up his spine to his tense shoulders and prodded at him. “Ryuuji?”

Bon blamed the fact that his brain was trying to blow itself up for why he didn’t make an actual answer outside of a ‘hhnghal’ sort of noise. He wasn’t even sure Rin was here. He was probably imagining this all. His throbbing brain had probably snapped somewhere in the hallway. (Actually, that wouldn’t be too bad. Then he wouldn’t have just thrown up in front of his boyfriend.)

“Ryuuji?” Rin garbled. His voice was rough and husky but not especially loud. “Hurt?”

“Yes.” It felt like the longest word to have to say. He kept his face against the wall so he didn’t have to look at Rin and acknowledge the fact that he’d just thrown up in front of him and Yukio and possibly Shura. (He wasn’t convinced she had actually been real.) 

It wasn’t fair. Rin had just sneezed a lot. He hadn’t done anything as gross as that. It wasn’t _fair_.

“Ryuuji?” Rin shivered and suddenly it was the human part of his boyfriend crouching beside him. “Sweetheart, is it your head?” Bon grunted in answer. Rin’s hand slid up his neck to caress his head. “How can I help?”

“Meds.” God, please, someone get him his meds. 

“Where?” Rin demanded and a glance confirmed that the demon was back in charge. 

“Please turn down the flames.” He couldn’t think with how bright Rin was. He could hardly breathe. “It hurts.”

Rin doused his flames. He had an expression like a kicked puppy. 

The door opened up and Konekomaru leaned in. Rin sprang up with a sound that made Bon shrink back in pain and a deep, primal sort of fright. The demon sprang across the room as the door snapped shut. Rin slammed against it, snarling and snapping his teeth like an angry dog. He stepped back, flames pouring off his body in a menacing, way too bright of a way. Bon hid his face again.

The door popped open once more and Yukio’s hand reached in to deposit a bottle of pills and a water bottle on the floor before he clicked it shut. Rin paced in front of the door and snarled.

Meds.

Bon moved towards it only to be pushed back and growled at by Rin. He’d been across the room and Bon hadn’t even seen him move. Blinking at his boyfriend in confusion for a moment, he tried to shuffle around him. Rin didn’t like that.

“Stay.” Rin seethed. Bon, if he wasn’t in so much pain, would have been confused. Right now he was just upset. 

“Let me get-” Rin shoved him back again.

“Stay. I-” Rin’s face twisted back to his human form. “I’ll get it. Stay here.”

He took a step back and eyed Bon to make sure he wasn’t moving. It took the halfling less than three seconds to fetch the meds and water and return to Bon’s side. He choked them down gratefully and pressed back against the wall. 

“I’m sorry.” Rin murmured. “I don’t know why, but…”

“It’s-we can talk about it later.” He dropped his head against his knees and tried not to groan. 

“Ryuuji?” Rin’s hand moved back to his head. Clumsy fingers pet at his hair and a warm nose brushed at the nape of his neck. “Smell wrong.”

“Sorry.” He probably stank from the earlier practice and all the other stuff. 

Rin shuddered and suddenly it was the human part of his boyfriend in charge. “Not like that, snugglekins.” Rin murmured, his fingers shifted their grip and started to massage the base of his skull. It helped a little. “It’s your scent but… soured? I think it’s because you’re hurt.” Rin’s nose brushed his neck again. “You smell unhappy.”

Bon would care about that later. For now he just wanted to close his eyes and get away from the pain.

“Rin,” he murmured into his knees. “Could you do the warm thing again? It feels nice.”

Rin moved around behind him and adjusted them so that he could press up against Bon’s back and still massage his head and neck. The halfling sent a soothing wave of heat over him and Bon’s body started to relax. He leaned back against the warmth of his boyfriend’s chest and slumped.

Because time had no meaning with migraines, he didn’t know how long they sat like that. At some point the meds _finally_ started to work and he fell asleep. He woke up later to the feeling of Rin nosing at the back of his neck.

Bon’s eyes slipped open slowly and he struggled to sit up a little. Rin tightened his grip on him and growled lowly. Bon ignored him and reached for the water bottle Yukio had given them. He rinsed his mouth out and leaned back against Rin. 

The halfling was still asleep. That made the growl a little funny. He’d appreciate it later, right now he wanted to go wash his face and hands. 

He freed himself from Rin’s winding grasp and stood up shakily. His entire body was aching dully and he wanted to find an actual bed to crash in instead of his boyfriend and a hard floor. It wasn’t as comfortable as it looked. At least Rin was warm. 

Trudging down the halls he took stock of his body and decided that he’d felt worse. He was tender, as expected, but the nausea was mostly gone. The hallway was a little too bright and the bathroom was way too bright.

He splashed his face with some cold work and rinsed his mouth out again. He felt gross and mostly wanted a shower and a nap. His phone started to vibrate dramatically and it made him jump. Bon pulled it out, squinted, and realized he’d missed a lot of calls and texts from his friends. 

_[text if ur alive :p ]_

Renzou had sent the last message a few minutes ago. 

_[not dead]_

He snorted at his own reply and pocketed his phone. 

“RYUUJI!”

Bon jumped and almost slipped. Rin’s voice exploded through the halls and it sounded like he was right outside and terrified. He scrambled towards the door and tugged it open. Rin was racing down the hallway, flames pouring from his body. He was in full demonic form and angry.

“Rin? What the-” He didn’t get to finish the sentence because suddenly Rin was on him and jerking him out of the bathroom. Bon was hauled into the chest of his flame covered boyfriend and hugged forcefully. Rin’s nose dragged along his throat, inhaling deeply and unhappily.

“Ryuuji.” Rin grumbled. He was dragged away from the bathroom door and towards the corner of the wall. Rin pressed him against it and glanced suspiciously around the hall. His flames spread out, barricading them from the rest of the room.

Blue and red eyes gazed at him with blatant worry. Rin’s face was twisted in it’s demonic form and very unhappy. 

Bon’s tender head was feeling a little slow. “I’m okay, buddy. What happened?”

“You were gone.” Rin accused petulantly.

Bon pushed his boyfriend back a little. “Hey,” He whispered and reached up to trace the grumpy features. “I’m better now. Meds kicked in.” He blushed a little, which was silly. This was hardly the first time he’d been cornered by Rin. Granted, he hadn’t done it a lot in such a dramatic way but Rin was hard to resist. The demonic part liked cornering Bon so he couldn’t get away.

Rin was watching him and he didn’t like the silence. “Thanks for the heat. It helped.” 

“Don’t leave like that again.” 

“Like what?”

Rin wrapped him up and pressed his cheek against Bon’s shoulder.. “You were _gone._ You were hurt and smelled wrong and you were gone.” Accusing eyes stared up at him. The human half was back in control. “Don’t do that again, smoochy.”

“Smoochy? Really?”

Rin kissed his jaw, smiling slightly and his tail wagging. “Really.” The smile slipped. “I got scared.”

“Sorry, I’ll leave you a note or something next time.” 

Rin huffed. “You still don’t smell right.”

“Huh. Whatever caused the migraine is probably still going on. I feel fine though.” He grabbed Rin’s hand and squeezed. “Come on, let’s go back to the dorms. I wanna rest for a while longer and it’ll be more comfortable in the bed.” They started down the hallway and Bon had a sudden thought.

“Wait, earlier when we were sparring, did you notice my scent changing then?”

Rin nodded. “It just… it made me think you were hurt.”

This was potentially fantastic. “Think you could let me know if you catch that again? You might notice it early enough that I could take my meds before it gets bad.”

Rin nodded his head with an adorably determined expression.

Curling up on the bed was a lot nicer than the hard floor. Rin was still warm and better than a heating pad. Migraines always left him feeling fragile and it was so nice to be able to relax and cuddle even if he wouldn’t admit it. 

“Sorry I got kinda crazy.” Rin mumbled. 

Bon’s eyes were heavy but he supposed they did need to talk like adults.

“You did get crazy.” He mumbled as he looped an arm around Rin’s shoulders. A few flames flickered out of Rin’s hair and it weirdly tickled Bon’s nose.

“It was hard to think? I thought someone was gonna hurt you.” Rin’s nose wrinkled. “Well, he did.”

And with that the demon part of Rin took over. Rin pushed him over onto his back and and leaned over him, the flames flickering along his form the only light in the room.

“Hi, Sexy.” Rin greeted. “Smell better.”

“Thanks? You doin’ okay now?”

Rin dipped his head and nosed at Bon’s chin. “Kept you safe.” The demon kissed along his jaw and to his ear. “Mine.”

Well… That was going to be a problem.


	8. Handholding Considerations

_If you’ve gotten this far, you’ve noticed that demons/nephilim have a certain… possessiveness. Hopefully you noticed in a non dangerous way._

_Demons do not like to share. They’re territorial and they do not like to have anyone else around what they think of as theirs. You’ve now joined that collection. Congratulations, it’s going to be annoying._

_Talking is your best bet. Demon’s are hard to communicate with when they’re not being aggressive so it’s going to take a lot of patience. Stick with it though and you can both come to an understanding. You need to push the fact that you aren’t a possession early, and often._

* * *

They had a few minutes before lunch was over and Bon wanted to spend it in a dark corner tasting Rin’s lips but, alas, there were too many people everywhere for that to be comfortable. Much as he loved Rin, he wasn’t comfortable kissing in public. At least not more than a peck on the cheek and even that made him blush. 

Which wasn’t saying a lot because dating Rin had proved Bon did in fact blush easily. He’d at least managed to control the reaction to the endearments. Though, some could still make him flush a bright red. 

He settled for holding hands because he was comfortable with that. It still made him blush occasionally, especially when Rin caressed the back of his hand with his thumb but mostly he was okay. 

“I’m going to drag you into an empty classroom after our lessons.” Rin purred, eyes bright with promise, “I’m not waiting for the dorm.”

“That so?” Bon replied with traitorously pink cheeks. They were almost to the class room and he could not believe Rin pulled a blush out of him that easily. 

Rin’s tail trailed up his back and made him shiver.

“That’s so.” Rin replied. 

Shura was walking out of the class as they approached. “Nope,” She called cheerfully. “We’re going to be in the gym today, love birds.” 

Bon’s gut reaction was to let go of Rin’s hand and huff. However he’d done that before and Rin’s hurt frown was not something he wanted a repeat of. 

“Why the gym?” Rin asked, squeezing his hand. 

Shura just smiled and ushered the rest of their class into the hall. They followed after, still holding hands. Bon made it two steps before Rin jerked him back. He was shoved into the empty classroom and crowded against the desk. Rin’s free hand curled around his cheek and pulled him into a kiss that Bon knew was going to leave him breathless for a long time afterwards. 

He didn’t mean to encourage it - they were still in school and they were actively falling behind the group now - but something about kissing Rin just made it hard to think. Soft lips, sharp teeth, varying sensations that shouldn’t work but did and, _oh,_ he was so weak to it. His hand moved to Rin’s hair, it would be glittering with fire if he looked. He could feel the warmth from the halfling’s flames around his fingers. Another kiss, Rin’s thumb caressing his cheek, Rin’s hand squeezing his own, flames brushing along his skin but not burning. So many details to take in and cherish.

Rin broke away, features twitching between human and demon, and pressed their foreheads together. They shared breaths while Bon tried to kick his mind back into gear. 

Rin’s body was shimmery with a hint of fire and he looked like he was glowing in the dark classroom. His cheeks were dusted with familiar freckles that Bon loved and staring at them made his chest tight.

They had a class. Grades. Scholarships. Rin couldn’t flunk out or the stupid Grigori would probably do something horrible. Shura would find them and she would tease them relentlessly. There were a lot of reasons to go.

Bon sucked in a breath and squeezed Rin’s hand. “Gotta go.”

“I know.” Rin murmured and kissed him once more. Bon pulled away with a monumental amount of willpower and guided him towards the door. Rin went willingly, his tail wagging cheerfully and his eyes firmly locked on Bon’s pink cheeks. 

Thankfully they were both quick so they caught up to the group before they seemed to notice their absence. Izumo eyed them but didn’t say anything. 

Bon realized he’d messed up Rin’s hair a little but he couldn’t really do anything about that.

Not without being obvious. 

The training mats were back out in the gym which meant they were pairing off once more. Rin’s hands squeezed his and the halfling’s tail curled around his hip. He was team join up with Rin. Sparring with Rin was always an adventure. 

“Okay,” Shura turned towards them with a mischievous smile. “We’re going to try the hand-to-hand again. We’ll be working in pairs so split up.” Rin pressed against his side with a cheerful and toothy smile.

“Wait,” she called as the group started to pair off. “One quick thing, Suguro, pick someone else. Rin, you’re with me.”

Rin’s hair sprouted with one flame and his hand tightened around Bon’s in an almost painful way. 

“Why?” His boyfriend immediately demanded. The tail wrapped more securely around his waist and he wasn’t going to be breaking free any time soon. 

Shura popped her hip to the side and the amusement faded from her expression. “Because I said so. Let him go and get over here.”

Rin held onto him for a rebellious moment longer. Bon released his hand-Rin held on-and gingerly grabbed Rin’s tail.

Rin huffed and let go with a furious scowl. He stomped across the hall towards Shura with a flame sprouting out of his tail. 

Everyone but Takara was paired up so that’s where Bon went. It would be an interesting session. Takara could kick his ass in a full fight- he was a skilled tamer and quicker than Bon-but in hand-to-hand Bon had all the advantages.

“Let’s get on with this.” Takara’s puppet mouthed. Bon eyed him a little uncomfortably. The… teen? (Bon was never certain if Takara was actually their age) still had his eyes closed and refused to take off the puppet. 

Bon assumed his fighting stance and waited for Takara to do the same. He bowed to start the match and made a quick jab at Takara’s sloppy defense. Takara shifted his stance and kept his normal blank and slightly bored expression. 

Shura laughed behind him and a quick glance showed Rin on his back with a furious expression. 

Takara tried to kick at him and he blocked it. He shot his right fist forward, blocking Takara’s return strike with his left hand and hit the tamer in the shoulder.

One point.

“Eyes on me, Rin.” Shura ordered. Bon ignored it and dodged a sloppy blow from Takara.

“You gotta loosen up.” He stated as he took a few steps to the side. It shifted his view a little so he couldn’t see Rin and Shura which would help with his own concentration. Rin was always distracting. 

Takara tried a kick and Bon blocked it. He struck out with his own leg and swiped Takara’s feet. The tamer went down with a solid and somehow resigned thunk. 

“Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways.” Takara’s puppet muttered. Bon raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. Takara would always be weird. He was pretty sure the tamer was weird just for the heck of it. 

“Come on,” he extended his hand down to Takara. The tamer’s clammy hand wrapped around his and he hauled him upright. 

He heard the snarl and had just enough time to look up as Rin dashed past him. 

A giant robotic doll popped up in front of Takara as Rin, fully demonic, landed in front of them with a vicious, animalistic noise. He placed himself between Bon and Takara like Bon needed protection. Flames circled around him in a hot barrier he could hardly see through. 

“Rin? What the-” he reached forward to get out and found that the flames were dangerously hot. He snatched his hand back in surprise as Shura’s shouts filled the room. 

More flames were spreading everywhere as Rin snarled something to Takara and his doll. 

Uke lunged over Bon’s head, Rin spun on his heels to face him and the robot doll struck at him. 

“Rin!” Bon moved forward again only to be singed by the fire. He backed up, panic tightening in his chest. This was out of hand and he didn’t know what had happened. 

Uke twisted in the air and he was no longer the familiar fox. He took the shape of a giant basin and poured out a rush of holy sake. The fire dissipated and Bon dashed forward. 

“Rin! Damn it!” He lunged at his boyfriend and wrapped him up in a tackle. They both fell to the ground with a painful thud, Rin snarling and twisting around in his grip.

“What in the hell, kid?” Shura demanded. Rin snapped at Bon’s face and seemed to realize it was him.

“Sexy.” He growled. Sharp teeth nipped at his jaw. 

He huffed out a mostly confused breath. “Use your words, Fireball. I got no idea what’s going on.”

Rin shoved his right hand down and laced their fingers together while he snarled. 

“Rin, you have ten seconds to get off him or I will knock you out.” Shura stated. The rest of the class was standing a safe distance away and watching in mild confusion. It should probably be surprising that this was no longer something unusual for them.

Rin’s grip tightened on his hand. He pushed it against the ground and glared at Takara.

Was it his hand? What about his hand? Why Takara? Bon had knocked him down. The tamer had never landed a single hit on him. He’d blocked them all. It couldn’t be the protectiveness like it had been with Renzou.

Rin’s face twitched as the human part tried to take back over. The demon fumed. “Sexy _mine!”_

It clicked right as Shura started her subduing chant. The hand. He’d grabbed Takara’s hand.

“You _dumbass.”_ He growled at his stupid boyfriend. “Why in the hell did something as ridiculous as that set you off?” Rin twitched as the chant started to take effect and Shura’s charm tightened on his tail. He whimpered in pain and the irritation evaporated at the sight of Rin’s pain.

He wrapped his free arm around Rin’s chest and pulled him close as he began to thrash. “Calm down, buddy, just let me up. It’ll stop if you just let me-” 

Shura completed the chant and Rin passed out. 

Well… Shit.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later saw him sitting next to Rin’s still unconscious form in Yukio’s empty classroom. Shura was sitting in the back corner flipping through a magazine with a very bored air. Bon was working on homework because he might as well get a head start on it while he waited. 

“CP?”

Bon dropped his book at Rin’s whisper. His gaze darted to his boyfriend and bloodshot eyes looked up at him. 

“What did you say?”

“CP.” Rin mumbled and tried to sit up. Bon pushed him back down. It would be a few minutes before Rin fully recovered from the abuse to his tail. Shura stayed where she was and turned a page. “Complete package.”

“One day you’re gonna run out of those.” 

“Doubt it.” Rin slurred. He flopped a hand towards Bon’s hand. Bon moved his hand away and fixed a stern look on his boyfriend. It was a lot harder to do than he’d expected it to be.

“Sorry, but we gotta talk first.” 

Rin blinked in confusion and tried to catch his hand again. He kept it out of his boyfriend’s reach. Hurt flickered in those blue eyes and Bon’s chest twisted with guilt.

He had to stay strong on this. They had to get this straight.

Rin curled into a ball and flopped over on his side away from Bon. “Did I hurt you?”

He shook his head even though Rin couldn’t see it. “Nope. Coulda hurt Takara or the others though.” 

Rin hugged his legs tighter and hid his head in his knees. Bon watched him and wanted _so_ badly to reach out and offer him some comfort. He couldn’t yet. Not until they talked. 

“You remember what happened?” He asked slowly. Shura flipped another page. He really didn’t want to do this with an audience but she had to be able to subdue him if he flipped again. Bon didn’t think he would but it wasn’t his call. 

“Not- _oh._ ” Rin’s tail went stiff as he drew in a sharp breath. 

Bon ran his fingers along the fur of Rin’s tail. He couldn’t hold back when he looked so upset.

“Sunshine?”

Rin swallowed and curled tighter somehow. 

“Tell him, Rin.” Shura ordered from the back. “He’s already put it together anyway. That’s what you get for picking the class nerd.”

Bon ignored her and kept his eyes on Rin. 

“There, uh… There’s not a good way to put it?” Rin muttered into his legs.

“Then put it badly.” 

Rin’s tail thumped unhappily. “I didn’t like you holding Takara’s hand. _I_ get that you weren’t holding his hand but, uh, the other me doesn’t.” 

Bon nodded because he’d expected that. “So you decided to attack him.”

Rin nodded his head. Bon decided to reward the honesty he’d received and moved his hand to his boyfriend’s hair. He ran his fingers through the pale locks and Rin’s tail twitched.

“I wanted him to get away ‘cause you’re-” Rin cut off sharply and held very still. Bon watched him and tried not to find it mildly amusing that his boyfriend was trying to out wait him. Bon could sit in complete silence for a solid hour and be fine. Rin was ready to screech after two minutes of silence.

“Mine.” Rin finally muttered. Bon blew out a loud breath because, while he’d expected it, it wasn’t a good thing to hear. 

“Sunshine,” he tugged gently on Rin’s locks until his boyfriend was looking at him. “Hey, you know that’s not good?”

Rin nodded and curled his tail around his middle protectively. “You’re not somethin’ that can be mine. I don’t own you.” 

“Thanks, and that’s true, but I was talking about your raging jealousy because I helped someone stand up.”

Rin shivered and let his demonic half have control. His boyfriend immediately rolled over and wrapped his arms around Bon’s middle.

“Sexy mine.” He muttered petulantly.

“Hey,” he poked Rin’s shoulder, “fireball, stop that.”

Rin tightened his grip. “You’re not getting away.”

“Just let me know if I need to knock him out again.” Shura called and Bon jumped because he’d forgotten she was there. Rin growled at her. 

“Can you loosen up and explain?”

Rin shifted but didn’t loosen his grip. He moved higher up Bon’s body and Rin hid his face against Bon’s neck. He could hear the halfling inhaling like he was trying to find a certain scent. 

“You held his hand.” Rin finally muttered in a petulant way. Bon could feel the halfling’s horns prodding against his throat. “But I hold your hand.”

“Rin, that was in _no_ way the same sort of thing.” Rin growled against his neck. “Hey,” he chided, “stop that. My helping Takara up is not the same thing as me holding your hand.” 

Rin’s head tilted up towards him. He could just make out blue and red eyes staring up at him through the messy white locks. 

“Sexy still mine?”

Well damn, that changed the scenario a little. “Wait, did you think I was dumping you?”

Rin let go of his middle and grabbed his hands instead. “Don’t leave.”

“Fireball- _Rin_ , I’m not dumping you. I wouldn’t dump you like that. There would be a talk and we would try and work it out first.”

Rin straightened and tilted his head in confusion. 

“You understand?” 

Rin frowned. “Not leaving?” Bon nodded. 

He was suddenly worried. “You, uh, wouldn’t do that either? Just start going after someone else?”

Rin looked at him like that was the most bizarre thing he’d ever heard. He didn’t answer though, and that just made the worry more real. 

“Uh, kinda need an answer there.”

Rin’s features twitched back to his human half. “Sugar lips,” he mumbled, “I wouldn’t do it either.” He swallowed and ducked his head so Bon couldn’t see his blue eyes. “Uh, thanks.” His hands squeezed Bon’s as a small blush lit his cheeks. “I’ll try and catch him before he goes crazy like that again.”

“We’ll get there.” Bon assured because he believed they would. It was going to be weird and that was okay. “We’ll figure it out together.”

Rin’s lips lifted in a small, bashful smile.

Bon started to lean in because Rin was tempting and vulnerable and Bon wanted to reassure him, before he remembered they weren’t alone. He blushed a bright red and drew back sharply. Rin grunted in irritation and Bon’s eyes darted to Shura who was watching them with a shit eating grin. 

“This,” She declared, “Is going to be _so_ much fun to watch.”

Fantastic.


	9. Senses are Sensitive

_ Demons and Nephilim have superior senses in every regard. Their hearing, taste, smell, touch, and sight will all be at a higher function than any of yours. Because of that, they’re aware of ‘dangers’ before you are. Not all things they consider dangerous are in actual fact, dangerous. Some are just run of the mill parts of life that they think intends you mortal harm. _

_ Other times they spot genuine dangers and will let you know about them in a… excessively dramatic way.  _

_ They can also react to sounds, smells, textures, and taste that are too strong for them. It can overwhelm their sense and cause angry reactions. Don’t take it personally and remove the agrivator if possible. If not, distractions are always useful.  _

* * *

Bon chose the largest table in the food court and dropped into one of the seats. Renzou sat across from him with a yawn and stretched out his legs. Bon kicked him back to his half of the table and scanned the restaurants. Rin was still easy to pick out of the crowd, especially with Izumo. 

“Looking for your boyfriend?” Renzou asked with a mischievous smirk. Bon considered ignoring him but that would likely not work. (It wasn’t his fault his boyfriend was watchable.)

“Looking for my lunch.” Renzou’s smile made it obvious he didn’t believe it. Bon watched Rin march up to the counter and order something with a cheerful series of hand gestures that had Izumo rolling her eyes.

“Seems to be going well.” Renzou observed absently as he picked at his nails. It was a habit he had developed solely to annoy Bon. 

“Why wouldn’t it be?” He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair with a scowl. 

Renzou snorted. “I don’t mean it like that.” He dropped his hands on the table and leaned closer. “I mean that you both seem to fit.” Bon scanned the court and pretended not to find that nice to hear.

“Does he know you’ve been crushing on him for over a year?”

(Forget any charitable thoughts Bon might have had. Renzou was a menace.)

“And that’s a no.” Renzou laughed. 

“What’s a no?” Konekomaru asked casually as he put his food down. He passed a bag and change to Renzou who tore into it happily. 

“Bon telling Rin that he’s had a crush on him for over a year.”

“Oh,” Konekomaru sat down and pulled his own meal out at a more refined pace than Renzou, “why not? It was obvious to everyone but him.”

“You two can-” Bon cut off abruptly, cheeks pink as Rin started back towards their table with a big grin. His boyfriend was staring at him and he looked ridiculously happy. 

“Two can what?” Renzou asked around a mouthful of food. 

“Shut up.” Bon muttered and tried to keep some sort of control over his own face. Rin walked closer, chatting cheerfully with Izumo.

“What,” Renzou teased, “don’t want your boyfriend to hear you talking?”

Bon broke eye contact with Rin and his cheerful smile to glare at Renzou. Konekomaru sipped at his soda with an amused smile and watched them both.

“You’re dating, Bon, there’s no shame in it.” Rin was almost here and Bon was going to kill his friends if they didn’t stop talking. “He’d probably be flattered. He had been crushing on you for a while as well.”

While Bon wouldn’t mind hearing more about that he was going to save that for a time when Rin wasn’t nearby. (How long of a while?)

“Hey!” He called in far too loud a tone. “They have everything?” 

Izumo raised her eyebrow in suspicion while Rin bounced over to the seat next to him. Rin squeezed his knee and set the bags down. 

“Where’s four-eyes and Shiemi?” Rin asked as he passed Bon his lunch. He preferred Rin’s bentos but everything tasted better with Rin. 

“By the vegan sandwiches.” Izumo offered. She sat next to Konekomaru and gave Renzou a warning look as she pulled her food out. Rin’s blue eyes scanned the court until they located Yukio and Shiemi. He watched Rin’s tense form relax a little. Always watching out for his friends. Bon adored that about him. 

Rin dug into his noodles while his tail draped itself across Bon’s thighs. Bon brushed his fingers across the fur at the tip of the tail. Rin pressed his arm against him and the tail gave a cheerful thump under Bon’s fingers.

It was strange to be able to do something like this without others seeing. They’d had the pda talk -not fun but necessary - and Rin was on a very different comfort level. Unsurprisingly. Rin was fine with anything at anytime but both halves of him were being respectful to Bon’s much lower comfort level. 

The tail was Rin’s favorite way of holding Bon close while they were in public. 

He concentrated on his sandwich and focused on the conversation Konekomaru and Izumo were having about exams. He didn’t notice Yukio and Shiemi arriving until they were sitting down. 

Rin went rigid beside him. Bon’s eyes darted to his boyfriend and saw his features twitching. They morphed into his demonic form as he scowled. 

He had apparently missed something.

“Rin?” His inquiry received no response. The halfling’s nostrils flared and his features twisted again. “Fireball?” The tail on his lap jerked and curled tightly around his thigh. It was a protective motion.

“Rin?” Yukio called with a hint of warning in his tone. “What is it?”

Rin muttered something in an inhuman language. He swallowed, squeezed Bon’s thigh more tightly, and exhaled. His features morphed back to human.

“Sorry.” He blurted. He poked at his noodles awkwardly and avoided looking anyone in the eye. “Thought I smelt somethin’. No big deal.” He shoved a large amount of noddles in his mouth and continued to doggedly avoid eye contact.

Bon waited a moment but it was obvious Rin wasn’t going to clarify. He could see a blush working it’s way up Rin’s cheeks from embarrassment. He loved the way Rin’s cheeks looked when they were flushed and he loved Rin’s shy smiles but...

Bon brought back up the exams and continued munching on his sandwich like nothing had happened. He had no idea what had just made Rin so upset but he didn’t want Rin embarrassed. Not over things he couldn’t really control. It wasn’t his fault he had superior senses. Shy, flushed Rin was one of his favorite things but not in this sort of setting. And never over the demon part of himself. 

He finished his meal and set to gathering up the garbage from the rest of the group. Rin was distracted by a cat video Konekomaru was holding so he got up and carried the garbage away. He got all the way across the food court and to the trash can before he felt a strange sort of heaviness in his chest. He scratched absently at his neck and felt bizarrely itchy. 

He dumped the trash out and set the tray at the receptacle. He scratched at his arm and looked around in mild confusion. There were a few people milling about but nothing suspicious. He’d only spotted a few coal tar whizzing about but they’d give the entire group a wide berth. Rin deterred everything but the gutsiest of demons. 

Bon turned back to the table, scratching at his neck and feeling his chest get tighter. Rin went rigid as he approached, head snapping up and eyes locking on Bon’s form. His features twitched and his eyes went wide with alarm. 

“Ryuuji?”

Bon offered him a smile, scratching at his arms as well as his neck now. The itchiness was spreading everywhere and it was feeling all too familiar. It didn’t make sense though. He hadn’t eaten any and no one else had either. The entire table knew about his allergy because Rin was not quiet about keeping kiwi’s far, far away. Bon wasn’t even allowed down the produce aisle by himself if the kiwi’s were out.

(He’d laughed until he realized Rin was serious.)

“What is it?” Yukio asked as Rin moved around the table to reach Bon. 

“Kiwi.” Rin growled and grabbed his hand. He turned it over and inspected the hive spreading along Bon’s wrist and up his arm. The sleeve covered the rest of it but it was too late. Bon had spread whatever was causing it around and now he needed a shower and some sort of antihistamine. 

“Rin,” Yukio warned again, rising swiftly without drawing attention to himself. It was amazing how differently the twins moved. “Don’t do anything. We’ll just leave.”

Rin glared, tail thrashing through the air angrily. “I’m going to find what did it and-”

Yukio caught the top of Rin’s tail. “You’ll do no such thing. Why don’t you escort Suguro home? I’m sure he’s uncomfortable.” Yukio’s teal eyes darted to him calculatingly. He raised a challenging eyebrow like he wanted Bon to intervene somehow.

Well… Bon was good at distracting Rin if nothing else. (Rin was good at distracting him as well, not that he’d admit it.)

Bon freed his hands from Rin’s grip and took two quick steps back. Rin followed exactly like he expected. He turned on his heel and retreated from the food court as quickly as he could without running, trying not to scratch at his itchy arms and itchy neck. Rin moved after him, growling slightly.

They made it out of the food court before Rin caught him. He wound his tail around Bon’s wrist but kept his hands to himself. 

“That’s what you smelled earlier, wasn’t it?” Bon asked without stopping. He could smell a hint of kiwi in the air and wondered if it was some sort of perfume. 

“Yes.” Rin grunted. His fangs had grown so they couldn’t stay hidden behind his lips. “Right when we started eating. Smelled it and shoulda gone after it.” 

“It’s a scent, Rin.” Bon laughed. “You can’t attack a scent.” 

“Don’t try me, babe.” Rin grunted. He moved closer to Bon, tail just a little too tight. Bon tugged at it but there wasn’t any point. Rin had him snagged. He actually liked the feel of Rin’s tail-it was much softer than it looked - but he didn’t like being trapped. 

Rin glanced at him, eyes tinted red and angry. The tail tightened its grip slightly and Bon winced. His boyfriend frowned and trailed his fingers against the back of Bon’s hand. 

“Can you loosen up?” 

Rin fidgeted. “I… I wanna feel your pulse. You smell distressed. Kinda like the migraine.”

Bon’s eyes dropped to the tail around his wrist. Huh. It was kind of obvious now that he thought about it but it was still a little funny. He had to have the most overly protective boyfriend. 

Rin proved that a second later by growling at a few students who moved close to them. His features immediately morphed into the demonic form and his nails shifted into claws.

“Fireball,” Ryuuji ordered and jerked the hand Rin had trapped with his tail, “Stop that. Not here. We’re fine.” Rin hissed and steered him towards an empty shop. Bon pushed back grumpily. “None of that.” 

Rin glared and Bon glared back. He was too itchy for this shit. 

He released a long, tired breath and switched tactics. “Fireball, if you behave I’ll scratch your head after dinner.”

Rin straightened and the tail loosened. “Promise?”

Bon nodded. “Promise.”

“Sexy’s okay?”

He blushed and glanced around but there wasn’t anyone close by. “I’m fine. Really. I just want to get back.” Rin straightened and turned towards the exit with determination.

Bon scratched absently at his neck as they left the mall and went towards the academy again. Rin was twitching in agitation even though he was behaving. It was at least a ten minute walk to his dorms. Fifteen to Rin’s. 

Fantastic. Kiwi’s sucked and this was going to be a long ass walk. 

* * *

Bon showered and doused himself with some antihistamines. He returned to his room to find Rin laying on his bed and reading one of his mangas. Bon stood in the doorway for a moment and watched him. He rarely got the chance to just watch Rin. The halfling was always moving and talking. Moments like these were his favorite and he hoarded them all.

Rin was on his stomach with his arms crossed as he peered down at the manga, completely enraptured. His tail flicked as he read and he was smiling in a cheerful way that always made Bon want to kiss him. 

He leaned against the doorway for maybe a minute, just watching. Exhaling, he straightened and smiled.

“Budge over.” He called. Rin’s head snapped towards him, grin spreading and nostrils flaring. He straightened, still holding the manga, and sat back on his heels. Bon crossed the room and sat on the other end of the bed.

“You smell better.” 

“I feel better.”

Rin’s tail whipped through the air. “Good.” He set the manga on the floor and turned towards Bon. It was a simple shift but the air suddenly felt loaded with something. Bon’s mouth went dry and he realized they were sitting on a bed. Alone. Without any expectations of the others being around for at least an hour.

(Two if he got lucky and Izumo and Renzou were in a shopping mood.)

“I have a question.” Rin sat up and stared at him, lip curling up in a coaxing smile. Bon’s stomach twisted with heat and want. He hadn’t had much of a chance to just be with Rin recently. Not with all the drama. One of them had been under the weather or Rin had been fighting his demon half. 

They’d already finished their homework so they could have a fair bit of time for some fun. It made him warm just thinking about it.

“What?” Bon managed somehow. This felt like a trap and he wasn’t against it. He was entirely for it if it went where he thought it was going to go.

Rin crawled closer to him, tail lifting calculatingly into the air. “Have you really had a crush on me for a year?” He asked playfully.

The warm, excited feeling immediately evaporated. Bon’s eyes narrowed as his cheeks heated with embarrassment. How did he know? God, how pathetic did he look now? (Crushing for over a year and never doing a damn thing about it. He  _ was  _ pathetic.)

“Who told you? Renzou?”

Rin reached him and lifted himself up by Bon’s shoulders. “Sort of?” Warm hands slid up his shoulders and his neck until they were curled around his cheeks. He could see Rin’s tail curling through the air behind him, utterly hypnotic. His cheeks were warm from the gentle caress and the subject and they just grew warmer knowing Rin could feel that. He could see Rin’s freckles clearly when he was this close.

“Sort of?” He managed after a few too many seconds. “What’s that mean?”

Rin shuffled closer on his knees and sat down so they were next to each other with their legs pressed against each other. “I heard you both talking about it. At lunch.” Rin darted in for a quick kiss that made Bon’s breath hitch.

The words registered in his head and he drew back in embarrassment. (His darker complexion was useless when Rin was holding his cheeks, damn it.)

“Hey,” Rin’s tail slid up his arm and to his neck, “come back.” Rin kissed his cheek, lips warm and soft against his skin. “I already told you I’d had a crush on you for a long time.” 

“It was Kyoto.” Bon muttered without meeting his boyfriend’s eyes. Might as well get all the embarrassment out. 

“It was the moment you passed me the hair clip.” Rin mumbled with another kiss on his jaw. “Thought you were hot the minute I saw you but that,” another kiss right beside his ear, “made me take notice.”

Then Rin was kissing him, mouth warm, pressing, and utterly certain. A slow kiss, full of surety and comfort Bon hadn’t even known he wanted. He pressed into it, his left hand tangling in Rin’s hair while his right hand found its way to Rin’s hip. The halfling’s tongue slipped in to meet his and was accompanied by a small moan that cracked what resolve Bon had been holding onto. He tugged on Rin’s hair and slid his hand a little higher up Rin’s side so he could tug him flat to his chest. He bent them back, laying Rin on the mattress and pressing over the top of his boyfriend. 

Bon tangled his hand in the soft locks, grinning against Rin’s lips as his boyfriend’s grip tightened around his jaw. Rin’s hands moved so he could wrap them Bon’s neck while he took advantage of the way he was trapped between Bon and the bed to pin Bon’s hips in place with his tail. It was an entirely Rin sensation he was wild about. 

Bon tore free to press kisses down Rin’s jaw, then the tempting column of his neck while the hand that wasn’t buried in soft hair dropped down to skim along Rin’s side. It was the lightest of touches and Rin groaned like it was the most incredible of feelings. 

The senses had some advantages after all. 

Rin brushed his nose along Bon’s head and drew back sharply. He sneezed dramatically and stared at Bon like he’d just betrayed him.

“What?” Bon panted, stomach tight and hands still holding onto Rin. 

“Has your shampoo always been that strong?”

Bon blinked in confusion. “It was a new bottle?” 

Rin sneezed again and wrinkled his nose. 

(Forget his previous thought. Those senses were straight annoying.)


	10. Watch Out For Your Stuff

_As I mentioned in the previous chapter, Demons and Nephilim have superior senses, and that includes smell. Because of that, you’ll find your significant other being attracted to certain scents. If you’re together, then don’t be surprised if you’re one of the scents they’re attracted to. This might manifest in your partner nuzzling against you and inhaling a lot, or in snuggling with your clothing and or blankets. Even pillows. Anything that spends a lot of time around you._

_Don’t be surprised if you notice articles of clothing missing or if they start to pout if you switch detergents or something. They’ll get over it._

* * *

It was 5:25 in the morning and Bon was fairly certain he was losing his mind. He’d had his track jacket last night. He’d hung it up in his closet last night. He distinctly remembered it because Rin had watched him make every movement from his spot on the bed in an _incredibly_ distracting way.

The jacket wasn’t in his closet and it wasn’t on his chair. He’d checked the floor, under the bed, and his dresser. It was gone. Bon’s room wasn’t even messy. He’d always kept an orderly space and there wasn’t a place for his jacket to be hiding.

It wasn’t _too_ cold out but it was early enough that the air would be crisp and he always felt better in a jacket. He could wear a sweater but they didn’t breathe right.

Bon settled with a long sleeved shirt and the rest of his exercise outfit. He left the rejected sweater neatly folded on top of his dresser and snatched his phone, keys, and prayer beads off his end table. 

That was when he noticed he was also missing his scarf. 

It didn’t make _sense._ He never lost things. He was meticulous with his things, often annoyingly so. Bon hated when things went missing. 

He went outside for his morning run and plugged his head phones in. He was on his second loop when he felt his phone buzz. 

_[wru]_

He squinted at the message from Rin as he jogged in place. His boyfriend wasn’t typically an early riser. Especially not on weekends. It worried him even though there wasn't anything obviously wrong.

_[On my run. Everything ok?]_

_[can i come over?]_

Bon stopped jogging in place and frowned at his phone. He didn't like that. Rin avoided the question and now he didn't want to type out a reply. He wanted to call. 

_[Sure]_

_[Everything ok?]_

He turned around and started running back to the dorms while he waited for a reply that didn't come. Rin was probably heading his way. At least he hoped he was. If he wasn’t there when Bon arrived he was calling his boyfriend. 

He picked up the speed on the way back, he wasn’t going to get to the rest of his morning routine so he might as well get his heart rate up. (His heart rate was already up because something could be wrong with Rin.)

No one was up in the dorm yet so it was easy to get back to his floor. He rounded the corner and that’s when he saw him. Rin was sitting in front of his door with his arms around his knees. His head popped up as Bon neared. Rin’s features were twisted in his demonic form. He sprang up nimbly and sprinted to Bon.

“Woah,” He gasped as Rin barrelled into him, “what’s-” warm arms wrapped around him and squeezed as Rin’s nose pressed against his throat. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Rin shook his head and hugged him closer. Alarm surged in Bon’s stomach as his own arms wrapped around Rin’s back. “Fireball? Are you okay?”

“Sexy isn’t hurt.” Rin muttered, inhaling deeply. Bon slid his hand higher up Rin’s back to bury in his hair. He ran his hand through the white locks comfortingly and tried to coax Rin back so he could see his face. Rin refused to move away from Bon’s neck.

“Nope.” He stated as calmly as he could. “I’m fine, buddy. Any reason I wouldn’t be?”

Rin turned his head and scanned the hallway suspiciously. He didn’t seem to like what he saw or smelled because Bon was ushered towards the door. He unlocked it in confusion because it was early and he didn’t want a potentially upset Rin in the hallway. Slipping inside, Rin right behind him, he closed and locked the door once more. Rin grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the bed.

“Rin-” 

His boyfriend caught his shoulders and shoved him down before glaring around the room suspiciously. Bon watched as his nostrils flared on an inhale and the tense line of his shoulders relaxed slightly. The halfling took a step backwards, glancing at him, and climbed onto the bed. Bon was promptly cuddled against. He could feel the drag of Rin’s nose against his skin, warm, soft, tiny breaths brushing his neck as Rin’s hand slid around his waist. 

“Sunshine?” 

Rin huffed, sliding closer and kissing his jaw. “Nightmare.” He finally muttered. “Thought you were hurt.” 

Bon got his hands under Rin’s leg and pulled him around so he was in Bon’s lap. He curled his arms around Rin to hug him. Rin leaned into him, seeking Bon’s touch and breathing in his scent. 

“Wanna talk about it?” He asked softly. He didn’t want to upset Rin and he didn’t want to make him feel awkward. He was more annoyed that Rin hadn’t said anything. Bon could have called him and talked to him while he walked over.

Rin shook his head. “My other half wouldn’t calm down without seeing you. Told him it wasn’t real but…”

Bon shrugged. “I don’t mind.” 

“You were on your run though. You didn’t have time to run all the laps.” 

“Well,” Bon hummed, “Seems to me we have three options. We can stay here and cuddle until both halves of you are calm. We can go for a run together. Or we can go get an early breakfast.” He titled his head thoughtfully. “Guess we could do a combination as well.”

Rin sniffed his neck again. “A run sounds fun.” His tail wiggled a little. “Could we do that and then breakfast?”

“Absolutely.” He pat Rin’s leg and the halfling started to climb off him. He paused halfway up and stared intently at Bon for a few long seconds. Bon stared back at him, vaguely confused. Rin’s lips quirked up fondly, making Bon’s heart flutter, and his boyfriend darted forward to press a gentle kiss to his lips. It made his entire body feel like it was vibrating suddenly. He hadn’t anticipated the kiss or Rin’s sudden nearness. 

(It had been _weeks_ , how did a kiss still make him breathless?)

“I really like you,” Rin murmured like it just popped in his head and he couldn’t keep it to himself.

Bon grinned a bit giddily. He got off the bed, somehow, and moved towards the door but paused. Rin was in his sleep shirt and some joggers. He’d get cold. For a person who could light himself on fire, he got cold easily. 

Bon tossed him the sweater he’d decided not to wear on his earlier attempted run. Rin caught it out of the air and pulled it to his face. He rubbed his cheek against it and took a long sniff. If he was dating someone else, that would be kind of weird. It was just a thing that happened with Rin. He had those heightened senses and he took a lot of comfort from certain scents. 

If anything it was nice to know Bon’s stuff was one of those scents. (It had been even before they’d started dating.)

Rin tugged the sweater on (it engulfed him hilariously) and wrapped his arms around himself. His tail lifted into the air and he offered Bon a lopsided smile. 

“Ready?” Rin nodded and Bon tugged the door open. It was still early enough that no one was up yet so he didn’t feel weird about holding Rin’s hand as they walked out of the dorm and onto the greenway. 

Rin’s eyes were darting everywhere. He looked suspicious and he was holding himself rigidly. Bon gave his hand a firm squeeze to try and distract him from whatever had him tense. Rin clung back to him, lifting his shoulders so his chin was buried in the sweater. His cheeks were already pink from the cold. 

“You okay?” They didn’t have to run. He wasn’t so dependent on his schedule that he couldn’t skip a run or reschedule it. 

Rin nodded as his lips lifted in a mildly unbelievable smile. “I’m good. We can run.”

Bon did not believe him but he didn’t really want to call him out on it. He settled for squeezing Rin’s hand once more and let go. Rin wasted no time in moving right beside him and matching his easy pace. The halfling’s tail darting forward to wrap around Bon’s wrist in a loose hold like he didn’t want Bon getting away. It didn’t impede his movements so he didn’t mind it staying. Rin seemed a little twitchy and his eyes were still darting around. There wasn't anyone around to be wary of and the barriers kept demonic threats away.

It took two laps for Rin to calm down. Bon increased the pace and that seemed to give Rin enough of a distraction that he loosened up. His stride became easier and a genuine smile lifted his lips. 

The sun was showing on the horizon and the sky was turning from a deep purple to a cheerful riot of pinks, oranges, and purples. The multitude of colors made Rin a beautiful, vibrant, ethereal looking silhouette and Bon almost tripped the first time he looked over at him. His white hair looked like it was on fire with the sunrise and the nickname ‘Sunshine’ had never seemed quite so appropriate. The vision of Rin bathed in morning light made a tender, affectionate ache twist in his chest so he had to take in a deep breath. 

He, to his utter humiliation, actually tripped a moment later. He would have fallen if Rin didn’t have a secure grip on his wrist. Rin caught him, spinning to face him. Worried eyes peered down at him from a face still lit by the colors of the sunrise. 

“Are you okay?” 

Bon nodded, inhaling loudly and resisting the urge to shake his head to try and clear it. “Yeah, I’m good.”

Rin studied him, moving in closer and wrapping his warm hand around Bon’s arm to steady him. He could feel the heat of it through his shirt and it felt like Rin’s hand print was being seared into his skin in a not painful way.

“Uh,” He started but couldn’t think of any words. 

Rin’s tail unwound from his wrist and trailed teasingly up his arm. 

“Wanna move onto breakfast?” Rin suggested. His tail straightened momentarily before weaving through the air in a slow wag.

Bon could catch up on the rest of the run later.

He had almost no memory of how he got to Rin’s dorm. One second he was watching Rin in the morning light and the next he was leaning on the counter watching Rin shuffle around the kitchen to make breakfast. Ukobach was yipping from the counter and Rin was nodding along to whatever the familiar was saying. 

Rin was still in his sweater and the sleeves were too long. He kept pushing them up his arms (Bon couldn’t stop noticing his biceps every time he shoved them up) but they’d slide down a few moments later. 

Bon propped his chin on his hand and watched Rin prepare a breakfast for them. He couldn’t stop remembering the way his boyfriend had been glowing in the morning light and the emotional ache in his chest seemed to expand a little bit. 

Ukobach chittered something with a sound that was almost a laugh. Rin froze, cheeks flushing, and shot the familiar a warning look.

“Shut up!” He ordered. His tail tucked itself around his hip in embarrassment as he prodded aggressively at the eggs and rice.

“What’d he say?” 

Rin flushed darker and avoided Bon’s gaze. “Nothin’.”

Ukobach made a high pitched squeaking noise that was _definitely_ a laugh. The familiar popped out of the room as Rin glared at him.

“Come on,” Bon straightened slightly, resting his arms on the counter and leaning forward so he could get a better view of Rin, “sounds funny.” 

Rin glanced over his shoulder and his eyes went wide as he dragged his gaze over Bon’s arms and chest. 

Bon had _not_ been aware that the position made his shirt a little tight across the chest. He couldn’t help but blush under the appreciative gaze. 

“Huh?” Rin breathed, still ogling Bon’s chest. 

“Sounded funny.”

“Ukobach’s just bein’ an ass.” Rin mumbled, blinking hard and jerking to alertness. He stirred at his eggs and rice with a smile and blush. His sleeves slipped down to his wrist again and the sight was a little too much.

He maneuvered around the counter and behind Rin. His arms looped around Rin’s waist and he could feel Rin’s tail rise in surprise before giving a happy wiggle. Rin leaned back against him, tilting his head up and smiling bashfully. 

Bon kissed his cheek because the ache of affection was too big and painful to resist. 

Rin immediately shuffled around so he could turn it into a proper kiss. Rin kissed him once, twice, tail whizzing through the air, and grinned against his lips.

“What was that for?” He asked after a moment. He moved their breakfast off the heat and turned to face him properly. He looped his arms around Bon’s neck and that was great. 

Bon shrugged. “Don’t know. Just felt like it.” He tugged at the hem of his sweater. “Like the way you look in my clothes.” 

Rin blushed and scowled. “I thought you said you couldn’t understand?” Bon’s brow furrowed because that wasn’t the response he expected. “And he exaggerated.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The-” Rin paused, his mouth popping open in surprise. “Oh. _Oh._ You meant… Forget I said anything?”

Bon was somehow more confused now. He shook his head. “Nope. Clear some of that up.”

Rin huffed and hid his face in Bon’s chest. “Ukobach was teasing me about your clothes.”

“The sweater?” Rin didn’t respond. “Something else?”

Rin huffed louder and pulled away with a scowl. He grabbed the pan angrily. “I might,” he grumbled, “have worn something else of yours around him. On accident.” He set the pan down too hard and it rattled ominously.

“What?” 

Rin glared. “You heard me.” 

“Yeah but it doesn’t make sense.” He didn’t understand why Rin was upset either. Except his cheeks were still pink. His tail was tucked around his leg as well. 

Embarrassed?

Rin avoided his eyes. “Hey,” he tugged on Rin’s sleeve, “what made you upset?”

Rin’s features morphed into his demonic form and the demon scowled. “Mine!” He snapped.

Bon backed up in surprise. “Fireball, what is-”

Rin latched onto his wrist and tugged him back. “My clothes.” He grumbled, wrapping his hot arms around Bon’s chest. “Sexy’s not getting them back.”

“What clothes?”

Rin, flames in his hair, tucked his face against Bon. “Were Sexy’s but mine now.” Bon enveloped his boyfriend and nosed through the burning locks. 

He had a feeling he was beginning to catch on. “You took some of my clothes?”

Rin twitched and the human half was back. “Shit!” He growled. He tried to break away but Bon held him fast. 

“Why?” He asked while a smile played on his lips. Rin was pouting in adorable embarrassment. 

Rin slumped and hid his face against Bon’s chest again. “I like the way they smell. I didn’t _mean_ to take it. I just kinda… did? It started with a scarf and I didn’t realize I’d taken it until I was back here. Then before I knew it I had a shirt and a jacket as well.” 

Bon was willing to bet it was the demon part of Rin that was snatching his clothes and, weirdly, he was flattered. 

“You know,” he squeezed Rin closer, “I don’t mind you borrowing my stuff. Just ask.” 

“Can I hold onto the sweater then?” 

Bon shrugged, his smile silly and large, “Sure. Can I have my jacket back though? I need it to run.”

Rin nuzzled his nose against Bon’s throat. “Yeah. I guess... do you want the shirt too? It doesn’t really smell like you anymore anyway.”

Bon couldn’t help but laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still taking open to anything you'd like to see explored in this fic :) whether it's a quirk of demon biology or something else, let me know :)


	11. Aggressively Territorial

_Your significant other, whether they’re a full demon or a nephilim, will notice if another demon has been close to you. Tamers, this is going to be especially trying for your relationship._

_If you’ve read this far, it won’t surprise you to learn that your significant other will not like smelling other demons on you. This will result in several strange behaviors and can cause friction if you’re unaware of what is causing the behaviors._

_They will immensely dislike the scent and might even turn aggressive towards you or whatever demon was unfortunate enough to leave a scent on you. Showering is a must but don’t forget to change clothes as well. The scent can cling to it._

_It’s not a scent you can smell, unless you also have a significant amount of demon blood in you, so you won’t really know if you smell like another demon until you’re with your partner._

_Communication is, once again, key. It takes time but they’ll eventually understand you can’t tell when you’ve been scented and that you aren’t part of their territory. You can figure out ways to help each other here._

* * *

It was one of the days Bon just wanted to finish his training and get started on his weekend. Rin was waiting for him at the dorms and there would be food and cuddles and probably some more if Yukio was out on business. 

Shura was not in that sort of mood though. She gave him a ‘come here’ motion as he finished putting his stuff away that meant there was more to their session. Bon had no idea what game she was playing but it was pretty much guaranteed to be annoying. There wasn’t anything left for him to practice. He’d already done his arias, his guns, and his bazooka. 

“Stop looking like a kicked puppy. You can cuddle your boyfriend later.” Shura sassed, rolling her eyes and cocking her hip out. 

(Bon blushed and he hated himself a little for that.)

“You need to practice your taming skills. When was the last time you summoned Karura?”

Bon had not summoned his father’s familiar in months. He didn’t like fighting with the phoenix because it was such a high risk target and every spell he could cast left him physically exhausted. Not to mention they already had four tamers on the team who were much better at controlling their familiars than he was. Which, yes, he would get better if he practiced but there never seemed to be a point. 

(He had to get better eventually but he was already tired.)

“That’s what I thought.” Shura stated once a few too many seconds had passed without an answer. “Call him. I want a basic shield spell and a wing attack.”

He should have eaten something first. Damn it, he’d lost his opening and Shura would tease him relentlessly if he asked now. 

Bon exhaled and brought his hands together. He used the edge of his tamer ring to cut his thumb and recited the call to Karura. The tug on his energy was instantaneous as a flicker of holy fire appeared at the tip of his fingers.

_Ryuuji?_

Karura’s soft voice filled his head as the fire began to take shape. He felt a flash of pain along his fresh cut where Karura burned the spot, absorbing the blood and sealing the wound.

_Why have I been summoned?_

“Practice.” Bon grunted. He separated his fingers, spreading the fire between his hands. Karura’s form shimmered above his right hand and solidified into his phoenix shape. The sight of the humanoid head and burning crown made his heart speed up and, for a second, he could feel the choking weight of the miasma on his tongue. The panic of dying and not enough time to save everyone filled his stomach and the familiar kept sapping his energy so the illusion became all the more real.

(So maybe there were a _lot_ of reasons Bon didn’t spend much time summoning Karura.)

_What practice, Ryuuji?_

Shura snapped her fingers, distracting Bon from the question for a moment. “Come on, shield and attack.”

“Shield.” He answered distractedly. “Put a barrier around me.” The flames shot around him, encasing him in warmth and making everything look vaguely orange. The pull of strength from his gut became noticeable and he had to inhale deeply to keep focused. He hated this part.

_Ryuuji!_

That was all the warning he got before something slammed into the shield from behind. It was like getting a punch in the head and caused him to stagger forward a step with a pained gasp. Karura flared in front of him, too bright and defensive. He was back in that _stupid_ barrier spell being hunted by the Impure King. Bon was going to fail and everyone was going to die because he couldn’t keep it together.

(No! He wasn’t there. He was in the gym, not Kyoto. That was the stink of stale sweat, not the rot of Miasma.)

“Gotta get stronger than that, Suguro.” Shura chided. “Now keep that barrier up and use the feather attack.”

Bon sucked in a breath, wiped the blood from his nose, and started the second spell.

* * *

After _far_ too long he finally freed himself from training and headed straight to Rin’s dorm. Bon left his bags by the door and went to the kitchen where he knew Rin would be. He rolled his neck as he walked, tired and stiff from the long session. His mind felt a little fuzzy from the energy drain and he desperately wanted a snack.

“Rin?” He called as he neared the dining hall. “Are you-”

The bang of the kitchen door echoed through the dorm and he _almost_ picked up the pace. He didn’t want to appear completely desperate so he kept his even stride.

Rin appeared in the door right as Bon turned the final corner. His boyfriend beamed and darted towards him. Bon’s heart thumped with excitement and he felt a smile lifting his own lips.

Rin stopped a few feet away with his smile fading. His nostrils flared as his expression twisted into distaste. Rin inched closer, eyes narrowing and face twitching. 

(Bon hadn’t showered after the training but he hadn’t needed to. It had been mentally strenuous, not physically. Did he stink?)

“What is it?”

Rin _hissed._ Teeth too long for his human mouth, he drew his lips back on a snarl as the cat-like noise escaped him. Rin immediately blushed and covered his mouth with his other hand. 

Bon’s eyes widened in surprise. He had experienced a lot of bizarre reactions from his boyfriend but he had never been hissed at. At least not that he could remember. Snarls? Yes, quite often when the demon part was feeling tetchy. Growls? On occasion and typically when the demon part was aggravated about Bon not listening. He’d had teeth snapped at him, he’d been yipped at, he’d had grumbles in a language he couldn’t understand, but he had never been hissed at like he was some other mangy cat approaching Rin’s territory.

“Sorry,” Rin garbled around his hand. “I don’t know why-” He cut off and his features twitched, trying to morph into the demon form. Apparently Fireball was feeling irritated and wanted out. Had he done something? He didn’t think so? It didn’t make sense.

Rin stepped back, face still twitching, and wrapped his free arm around himself. “Why,” he managed, “do you smell like _that_?”

Bon opened and closed his mouth in confusion. “Like… Like what?”

Rin snarled something in a language that was not human. The syllables were harsh and angry, making something cold race down Bon’s spine. 

“I can go?” Bon pointed over his shoulder like an idiot because he was confused. “Shower or something?” He’d wanted to cuddle but apparently he was freaking out both halves of his boyfriend by just standing here. It felt, stupidly, like he was being rejected for something and he didn’t understand _why._ Still, stupid or not, Rin’s irritation did hurt. He’d been looking forward to this all day and now it wasn’t happening. They were still standing in the hallway, he apparently wasn’t allowed further in, he was hungry, he was tired, and he didn’t want to be hissed at.

“No!” Rin snapped. He moved closer and stopped with an upset noise. “What is that?!”

“What? I don’t smell anything?” 

Rin bared his teeth and for a moment the human part lost control. The demon growled menacingly and said something that sounded threatening in his wild language. Bon backed up another step. 

Rin exploded in flames as the human took back over. His blue eyes went wide with shock or worry, Bon wasn’t sure, and he extended a hand towards Bon.

“Oh,” he squeaked, “I’m sorry. I-yeah, a shower is probably a good idea. I can’t-” He gagged and covered his mouth and nose again. “Please go.”

Bon took two more steps back, hurt churning in his chest, and turned around. Rin didn’t want him here even though they’d planned this and-

“Here?” Rin called after him, voice thick. “You can shower upstairs?” 

Okay. So it wasn’t a complete rejection but what was going on? It didn’t make _sense._

The boys shower, baths, and toiles was one of the cleaner areas in the dorm and it didn’t take him long to get under the spray. He was careful to scrub all of his body with Rin’s scentless soap and was just starting on his hair when he heard a clatter outside the showers. He paused, hands sudsing up his hair and directed his eyes towards the door. 

It was silent. He wasn’t sure what had upset Rin earlier but he knew his territorial boyfriend wouldn’t let anyone upstairs while he was in the shower. The demon would probably think of him as being vulnerable and would get aggressive if anyone even tried. 

Bon wasn’t vulnerable of course, but the sentiment was appreciated. It gave him one less thing to have to think about.

He finished shampooing his hair and stepped back to the water right as another louder crash and a snarling sound followed by something banging on the door. Bon jumped, landing under the water and eyed the distance between him and his clothes. It would take a few seconds to get over there not to mention the time it’d take to get in them. He didn’t like the idea of fighting some random thing naked. He’d done it before and it wasn’t fun. 

The door rattled ominously before he could relax again. Bon sprang out from under the water and across the room. He grabbed his prayer beads off the bench and brought it up in case he needed to summon a shield. Water dripped off his body into a puddle around his feet and the air was too cold to be wet. 

Bon cautiously reached forward and grabbed the towel up. He dried himself off with one hand, still holding his beads, and pulled on his underwear and sweat pants. He forewent the shirt for the moment and stepped towards the door. Wrapping his hand around the handle, he raised his beads and jerked it open.

There was nothing on the other side. The hallway was empty and -

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted something on the door. There were deep gouges carved in it like something had clawed it wildly. Bon turned to face the door, confused, and barely saw Rin peering around the corner where the toilets were.

“Ryu-” Rin inhaled sharply when he noticed Bon’s lack of shirt. His tail raised into the air on alert and his blue and red eyes went wide. Bon blushed.

(At least he hadn’t gone with only the towel.)

“Everything okay?” He asked slowly and Rin’s features shifted somewhere between demon and human. Rin took a step closer and Bon felt like the air around them was getting thicker. His bare skin prickled with goosebumps and it was hard to hold still when Rin was looking at him like that. Rin clearly liked what he saw and wanted and that made Bon’s mouth feel dry. He’d always had people at True Cross interested in the way he looked but having the person you desired looking at you like that was a heady thing.

Especially after the earlier rejection.

Still… Hormones couldn’t take over yet. Not until he figured out what the hell had just happened. (Even if Rin looked really tempting.)

“Wanna,” he swallowed and there was still no moisture in his mouth as Rin moved closer, eyes following a trail of water down Bon’s chest, “wanna explain what happened earlier?”

Rin stared up at Bon with dazed eyes. He tilted his head like a confused dog and blinked. It looked like he was hearing someone else speaking. 

“Oh,” a blush colored his sharp cheeks, “I’m not sure. It smelled awful and I couldn’t keep holding myself back.” His hand reached out for Bon’s arm like he couldn’t quite stop himself. Bon leaned into the touch. Rin’s warm fingers spread over his bicep, a relatively small amount of contact that felt like fire on his skin. Intoxicating heat raced up his chilled skin as Rin’s warmth seeped into him. “He, uh…”

“Fireball not happy?”

Rin nodded absently, eyes still drinking in Bon’s form. He caught his boyfriend’s other hand and brought it up to his chest. “You can touch.” He murmured and now there were two spots of intense heat and it was so difficult to make his mind focus. Bon settled his own hands on Rin’s hips and tugged him closer. Rin leaned towards him, eyes darkening as the red took over the blue. His fangs grew longer and sharper as Rin came near. 

“Mine,” Rin growled lowly. He dragged his nose up the hollow of Bon’s throat to his jaw. “Other filth scenting you.” Deadly teeth moved along his jaw, scratching his facial hair. 

“What?” His voice was embarrassingly breathy as Rin moved closer and pressed flat against him. 

“That phoenix.” The demon part of Rin answered. The hand on his bicep slipped around to his back, sharp nails dragging up his sensitive skin. He gasped at the sensation without understanding why it felt so good. Rin’s teeth scraped along the edge of his jaw, a hint of danger with the ferocity of Rin’s teeth. “You’re _mine._ Not his.”

Bon managed to wrestle together a few brain cells and take in what his boyfriend had just said. “Karura?” Rin growled in warning and nipped his neck. Bon’s blood rushed at the sensation and he lost a few more brain cells to what Rin was doing. “Was that what you smelled?”

“Sexy _mine_. Only my name.”

“I don’t belong to you or anyone.” Bon managed after a sharp breath that didn’t do much to clear his head. “I’m free, Fireball.” He tugged on his boyfriend’s hips so there wasn’t any space between them. It was immediately a bad decision because Rin wrapped around him, heating him up and staring at him with hazy eyes. Years of meditation and practice of self denial was the only reason he didn’t haul Rin into a kiss.

“I chose to be with you,” he continued with a raspy voice that made Rin’s eyes _burn, “_ same as you chose to be with me. I don’t growl when you talk about other people.”

Rin’s brow furrowed. “Only Sexy.” 

As nice as that was to hear it was still a problem. “Karura is my-" Rin snarled and shoved him backwards and into the door. He managed not to hit his head but the rest of his body collided and a sharp sting shot up his back. His mouth popped open on a grunt and Rin pressed his lips against Bon's in a ferocious kiss. 

Bon immediately opened up for it without meaning to because keeping Rin out felt wrong. He tipped his face into the pressure, letting Rin’s tongue slip against his own. His heart raced at the sudden weight and heat of Rin against his body as he abruptly felt hyper aware of every inch of his skin.

“Ryuuji,” Rin purred, voice deep and raspy in a way that meant the demon was still in control. (The loss of his pet name was worrying.) “You smell right.” Rin licked at his mouth, sharp fangs dragging over his bottom lip in a possessive way. He released Bon’s lip and smiled in a vicious, dark way. “You feel good like this.” His nose trailed over Bon’s cheek towards his ear. “Warm and strong.” Rin’s teeth pressed against his jaw, dangerous and close to his pulse. “But, you are _mine.”_

Bon shoved at Rin’s chest to absolutely no avail. Rin was as immovable as a mountain when he wanted to be and it didn’t matter how hard Bon pushed Rin wouldn’t budge. 

For the first time since he’d started dating Rin, he felt a hot rush of worry fill his gut. 

“I’m not-”

Rin moved in for another kiss and Bon turned his head sharply to the side. The worry got a little bigger as he sucked in a breath and tried to push Rin away harder. 

His boyfriend twitched, his features shrinking back to his human half. His entire body shuddered and he stumbled backwards at the pressure from Bon’s hands. 

Rin’s hand flew to his mouth again. “I’m so sorry!”

“What’s going on?” Bon demanded, his heart was pounding and he wasn’t sure Rin could hold onto control. He couldn’t recall ever not feeling safe with Rin. 

Rin backed up into the opposite wall. “I don’t know? There was a scent and it made me sick and then you smelled like you but that wasn’t enough-”

“It was Karura?”

Rin twitched like he was fighting for control. He covered his face and inhaled sharply. “Shit! He _really_ doesn’t like you saying that. Can you hold off for a bit?” 

Bon nodded.

“And put your shirt back on? He, uh…” Rin peeked at him between his fingers, blushing a bright red. "He's really fighting me."

Now Bon was also blushing. He nodded jerkily and shuffled back into the bathroom. His back ached slightly as he tugged his shirt back on and he vaguely wondered how much Rin had just scratched him up.

There was going to be a long awkward talk ahead of them. He wasn’t looking forward to it and he still wasn’t certain what had even happened. Rin had gotten jealous somehow and he didn’t know what had caused it. Something about a smell?

(Did demons smell? Why hadn’t any of his demonology classes mentioned that useful tidbit?!)

Whatever it was, Bon was going to eat before they had the talk and then, preferably snuggled up on the couch, they could chat calmly. 

Rin was pacing outside the showers with his tail stiff in the air. He turned his head towards Bon and opened his mouth to say something. Bon took a step forward and watched in alarm as his boyfriend’s face morphed into its demonic form. 

Rin _snarled_ and strode towards him with his jaw snapping at the air. He lit with vibrant blue flames and suddenly Bon was standing in only his underwear with nothing remaining of his gym clothes but a bit of ash on the floor.

The human part of his boyfriend took back over and covered his mouth again. Rin’s eyes went wide with horror and Bon’s entire body flushed in embarrassment as he realized Rin had just burned his clothes away.

So… That talk was happening before food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First sorta cliffhanger in this story. Gotta have _some_ struggles with Fireball.


	12. Scenting and Other Stimulating Convos

_If you find yourself being scented by another demon and your significant other is around, you’re going to probably find yourself cornered by the possessive side of your partner._

_1) Do not panic. Demons can smell fear/panic and it will just make your partner antsy as well as upset about the scent_

_2) Because telling someone not to panic is useless when they’re panicking, I suggest you recite a mantra or focus on your breathing. If possible, find your partner’s favorite distraction. Mine is head rubbing and it’s relaxing for both of us. The distraction can calm them down enough to make you feel safe again._

_3) They will try and dominate you. It’s your choice to submit or not but I would suggest not shoving them away. Use your words instead of actions because demons tend to bite when techy and they’ll be aiming to make a lasting mark._

_4) You’re likely not getting away without a hickey. I did warn you that demons are possessive. Scarves and turtlenecks are going to be your professional friends now._

* * *

Bon stood there, frozen in shock and embarrassment as Rin gawked at his almost naked body. He’d bathed with Rin and others on several occasions so being naked wasn’t unusual or even weird.

However, he’d chosen to be naked on those occasions. He hadn’t had a choice this time and he felt vulnerable in a way he didn’t like. (Especially with an angry and horny Fireball in the mix.) There weren’t other clothes to change into either. That was all he’d had. He couldn’t get back to his own dorm without them. Not without an awkward text to Konekomaru.

Rin was flushed and shaking with random spurts of fire. His tail was tucked between his legs like he was ashamed and he was staring at the remnants of Bon’s clothes with huge eyes.

“What happened?” He managed after a good thirty seconds of utter silence.

Rin kept staring at the floor. The flames grew brighter around him until his entire body was coated in them. He took a step back, his hands rising to cover his twitching face. 

“I don’t know. I don’t understand.” Rin gasped. His hands slipped up higher until they were grabbing fistfuls of white hair and clutching it too tightly. He sank into a crouch with his tail curling around his legs protectively.

Bon moved closer because he couldn’t stay back with Rin on the verge of a panic attack. Rin shook his head frantically.

“Gimme a second-I gotta-” Rin curled in on himself and the fire flared brighter. 

Bon promptly stopped walking and crouched about two feet away from Rin. He didn’t want to tower in-case that was making Rin antsy. He didn’t know what struggle was going on but he knew better than to push Rin when he was fighting his demon side. 

He hadn’t seen Rin fight like this since they’d been dating. The demon half wanted out more often but he didn’t rage against Rin like he used to.

Rin exhaled loudly and loosened his grip on his hair. “The smell.” He mumbled, still not looking at Bon. “It was on the shirt. Didn’t think about it.”

Bon took that in and nodded even though Rin couldn’t see it. Smell. He had to do some research on demon scents because apparently that was going to be a thing now. Why had no one ever told him that demons scent marked? That was such a huge thing to know with potentially massive implications for fights and interactions. Low class demons fled from Rin because they could sense he had power so why didn’t they get scented by him before fights? It could keep annoying things like chuchi off them so they could focus on larger threats.

Or even getting scented by type specific demons when they were infiltrating places. There was endless potential and he’d never heard about it.

His boyfriend was breathing steadily and his hand slipped to his side. Bon shuffled nearer.

Rin tilted his head and stared at him through his messy bangs for a few seconds. “I’m sorry,” he blurted abruptly, “I don’t know why it was such a big deal.” The halfling's hand reached out for him and brushed the edge of his jaw where the demon part had left a hickey. “That looks painful.”

“Kinda is.”

Rin’s tail tucked itself around his legs. He dropped his hand and stared at the floor. 

“Rin,” Bon exhaled and pinched the bridge of his nose, “I’m not mad, I’m confused." Mad wasn’t off the table but the human part of Rin seemed genuinely upset so he wasn’t mad at him. Fireball was another matter.

“You’re not?”

“Nope. I just wanna talk and rest.” And eat. God he wanted some food. 

“Can we go somewhere else? It still kinda smells here, Boo-Bear.”

Bon’s lips quirked up the slightest bit. “Yeah, that’s fine with me, Sunshine.” He shifted and realized he was still only in his underwear. "Uh, do you have something I can put on?"

Rin's eyes shot to his chest and legs and the blush returned full force. He nodded, his throat bobbing on a hard swallow, and straightened abruptly. 

"Yeah!" Rin’s hand extended towards him automatically and froze part way in the air. Bon closed the rest of the distance and wrapped his hand around Rin's.

Five awkward minutes later saw Bon dressed in the sweater he'd let Rin borrow and an extra pair of track pants that were too short but better than nothing. He was sitting on Rin's bed fiddling with a spare pair of prayer beads he'd left over here while Rin paced back and forth across the floor. 

“Okay,” Bon finally sighed after Rin's tenth lap. “Here’s the problem. We aren’t the ones that really need to talk-well, we do but not as much. It’s the other guy I need to chat with but-”

“Not right now.” Rin growled. “I don’t trust him.”

Bon blew out a noisy breath. "Kinda got that from the pacing." Rin sent a half hearted glare his way. He felt a lot better now that he was dressed and Rin was obviously as confused about everything as he was. Bon hated being the only one out of the loop.

He straightened a little and dropped the beads in his lap. “Anyway, that’s the problem. So I'll just chat to him through you. What in the hell happened?”

Rin stopped his pacing and tilted his head towards Bon. "What?"

Bon shrugged a little self consciously. "You know? Back when we were first dating... You kept Fireball on a tight leash and you'd tell me when he wanted out or he was upset?" He wasn’t sure how all that worked but it seemed like Rin had the ability to talk to his demon half somehow. Rin nodded which just cemented the feeling. "Do that now. What happened?"

Rin turned and started pacing again. "I don't need to ask him that. I already know. It was the damned smell.” His teeth grew longer, passing over his lips as he scowled. “You were covered in it and I couldn’t breathe.” His eyes shot to Bon and narrowed in consideration. “What did you do before you came over?”

Why was he being questioned? He hadn’t done anything wrong. “Training, like I told you this morning.” He crossed his arms and tried not to shiver. He needed a meal and nap. He had no idea how Tamers just summoned shit for hours without constantly yawning. He could hold a shield against demons for hours but half an hour with a familiar made him exhausted. “Shura made me practice my summoning so I was late.”

Rin’s brow furrowed. “I don’t remember him smelling like that in Kyoto.”

“Probably ‘cause the Miasma was screwing up your sinus like everyone else.” He shrugged. “I haven’t really summoned Karura around you.” He didn't really summon Karura period.

Rin snarled and grabbed his head. “I told you to lay off that.”

Bon clamped his jaw shut to keep from shouting out Karura over and over again like a petulant child. It wouldn’t help anyone and it probably wasn’t a good idea to test his boyfriend’s grip on his demonic _possessive_ half right now. 

(Bon could be an adult and control himself when the situation called for it.) 

“Sorry, I’m not used to having to censor that. Why’s it a problem now? And what exactly was the smell?”

“His smell. Demon’s have scents. You haven’t smelled like him before.” Rin swallowed thickly and unfisted his hands. He stretched his fingers out deliberately and took in a deep breath while Bon watched. "Shit." He muttered. "He's really making me tense." Rin’s hair flickered with fire and his eyes darted to Bon like he wanted to say something. 

Bon watched for another silence filled moment but Rin didn't clarify. This wasn't getting them anywhere and Rin's pacing was making _him_ tense.

"Just," he pat a spot on the bed next to him, "come over here, please? I can't think with you acting like you want to hunt down some prey."

“But you’re the one I want to hunt down.”

Bon managed not to blush a vibrant red. It was a very subdued pink, if anything. 

He pat the bed again. “Come over here anyway. You’re making me antsy.” 

Rin took a cautious step towards him and paused. His tail wove slowly through the air as he inhaled the scents in the room and Bon waited. It took at least a minute for Rin to slowly close the rest of the distance between them. 

The halfling clambered onto the bed stiffly and sat rigidly facing the wall opposite them. Bon watched him for a tense second until Rin’s tail wrapped around Bon’s arm. He took it as a sign that Rin didn’t dislike the idea of sitting next to him and let his own body relax. Bon waited for another moment and then took his hand. 

It broke whatever weird reservation Rin was holding onto. His boyfriend sprang at him, wrapping an arm around his middle as a warm face pressed against his neck. Rin snuffled against his skin, pressing closer and holding tight as Bon moved his own arm to curl around Rin’s back. His eyes slipped close for a peaceful moment as he took in his boyfriend’s steady warmth and he had to concentrate not to just flop them both over on their sides and take a nap. 

Maybe later. First: “Better?” Rin hummed and rubbed his face against Bon’s neck. “Good. Now what did you mean by wanting to hunt me down?”

The halfling went very still. “It’s-” Rin’s body twitched and for a moment Bon could feel sharp teeth poking at his jugular. He stayed still as Rin regained control. There were moments when Bon was reminded of the fact that Rin was dangerous and wild. They always left him a little uncertain (and excited. He liked what he liked and he liked that part of Rin.) 

Rin huffed out a breath that tickled Bon’s neck. “He didn’t want you getting away.” His boyfriend went quiet for a moment before grumbling. “Fine. _We_ didn’t want you getting away.”

“Is that why you clawed at the door?”

Rin pulled back with shifting features. His hair was on fire. He shook his head leaving trails of smoke and blue light that curled through the air mesmerizingly. His cheeks were flushed and appeared a little purple with the light of the blue flames. “I lost control and didn’t realize that was happening until after it happened-” he closed his eyes and the flames flared brighter. “He wanted to make sure you were… secure?”

Bon slid his hand up Rin’s shoulder to his neck. Rin shivered and pressed into his touch like an eager cat. He dug his fingers through soft white locks and stared at his boyfriend for a beat. Rin stared back, eyes rimmed with red as he struggled to maintain control. 

They were both going to be worn out if he kept this up. 

“Is he feeling less angry?”

Rin shook his head. His features shifted before settling in the human form again.

“Okay… Let’s…” Bon scratched at Rin’s head and felt him relax into the touch. “Let’s try something different.”

“What?” Rin murmured, leaning into Bon’s hand and winding his tail around Bon’s wrist to keep him in place. A simple little action that always made Bon’s heart twist with tenderness.

“How about,” he started slowly while he tried to think of a way to word this, “if you didn’t have to watch and listen to everything? What if you were just waiting for a certain phrase or motion?”

Rin’s brow furrowed even as he leaned into Bon’s fingers. “Huh?”

“If you didn’t have to keep constant control of him and just waited for if I called for help? Would that make it easier on you?”

“What? Like let the demon takeover right now?”

Bon nodded. “And you could save your energy for taking back over instead of monitoring everything.”

Rin turned his eyes to the beads in Bon’s lap while he considered the idea.

“How would you call for help?” he finally asked cautiously. His weight was fully pressed against Bon’s side and he was still inhaling deeply. Was Bon’s scent really that great? He was a little curious what he smelled like but it seemed weird to ask. 

(There wasn’t a lot about his relationship that wasn’t weird.)

“I don’t know…” the idea hit him as soon as he finished the sentence and he almost smiled. “Sunshine?”

Rin hummed in acknowledgement and pressed into his touch. “Yes?”

He smiled and pressed a kiss to Rin’s nose because the affection was welling up in his chest again and it seemed safer than squeezing Rin in a hug.

“No, sunshine could be the word I use.”

Rin’s head tilted towards him. “Huh?” 

“I only call _you_ sunshine. It’s not exactly something that comes up in a lot of sentences. If you were just listening for me to say that, would it be easier on you?”

Rin blew out a breath. “Probably. But what if-”

“Rin,” he used his grip on Rin’s hair to tilt his head so they were looking at each other’s eyes, “You could lose control at any second. It’s always a risk. That’s why we started letting me interact with him. He hasn’t hurt me before and I’d like to keep it where we can hang out without problems.” 

Rin studied him with fractured eyes and a sad expression. “Sunshine?” Bon nodded. “Okay but, if it doesn’t work, I want you to promise me that you’ll jerk as hard as you can on my tail.”

Bon nodded even though he wasn’t sure he’d be able to do that. 

“Ready?” he nodded and Rin’s features shifted as flames broke out across his entire body. There was just enough time for Bon to blink in surprise at the bright light and then he had a halfling on his lap. Rin crowded against him, a low growl rumbling in his chest. 

“Ri-”

Rin licked along the hickey he’d left on Bon’s neck. “Ryuuji,” the demon grunted, “my sexy.” he nosed along Bon’s jaw until he was at his pulse. Sharp teeth settled over the skin in an act of dominance that instantly alarmed and angered him. 

“Stop that!” he snapped. Rin trembled and the human was back in control. He pushed off Bon’s chest with a scowl. 

“I knew-”

“Rin,” Bon chided, his hand sliding up to rest on Rin’s hip, “I didn’t say Sunshine.”

Rin, who had been halfway through climbing off his lap, paused. His eyes darted to Bon with a ‘are you serious?’ expression. Bon didn’t move and kept his hands on Rin’s hip. 

“But-”

“But nothing. I didn’t call you. You said you’d do it. I need you to trust me and wait for if I call you.” 

Rin settled back in his lap and blinked slowly like he was processing that. Bon held him steady while he thought until he finally nodded. “Okay. I’ll trust you.” Rin darted in and pressed a deliberate kiss to his lips. Bon’s hands tightened on Rin’s hip as Rin stayed there, tension obvious in his body and the kiss a little anxious. He did his best to stay steady and calm, easing the frantic pace Rin set and keeping his breathing even so his heart wouldn’t race. Rin’s tail was around his wrist and he knew the sneak could feel his pulse that way. 

Rin finally broke the kiss and exhaled slowly against his lips. “I trust you.” 

Bon smiled because it was impossible not to with those words. “And I trust you.” 

Rin stared at him and Bon watched as his eyes shifted red. The demon immediately scowled.

“It’s my turn.” he grumbled. Bon nodded. 

“Yeah, but we gotta talk and I need you to _listen.”_

Rin shook his head, flames burning through the air. “Sexy _mine._ ”

Why couldn’t they get past this? “Rin-” any reprimand he might have made was lost in Rin shoving him backwards so he was laid out on the bed with Rin on top of him. 

Shit. He probably should have picked a different spot. What a stupid oversight. They hadn’t had any serious talks in a bed. They hadn’t done anything in a bed but nap, cuddle, and make out. 

Rin seemed aware of that as his tail slipped under Bon’s sweater and brushed up his stomach. He reached down to swat the tail away - they weren’t doing anything like that until after they talked - only for Rin to snarl. His wrists were caught and pressed against the mattress as Rin moved over him, his teeth bared in blatant threat.

“My Sexy!” Rin lunged for him and rubbed his cheek furiously against Bon’s skin. He couldn’t move his arms or chest. He was effectively pinned. If he had to call on his human boyfriend he was going to kick Fireball’s ass. 

“He touched you here.” Rin spat viciously against hs neck. The halfling jerked Bon’s right hand up and Rin’s nose brushed along the tip of his fingers, inhaling and scowling. “And _here._ ” burning eyes turned on him, red and furious. The rage in them stole his breath. 

“You’re _mine_ and he touched you.” Rin finished. He brought Bon’s hand to his lips and licked over the cut he’d summoned Karura with. Satisfied with whatever that was about Rin returned to his neck, still holding onto Bon’s wrists and keeping him pinned. 

“Fireball,” Bon snapped when he realized he’d gone passive from surprise, “calm down!” it earned him a strange, angry sound against his throat. “I am not your property. Will you just breathe and listen to me?”

Rin’s nose pressed against his jugular and the halfling inhaled hard enough that he could feel it through Rin’s entire body. He didn’t respond so Bon took that as a yes.

“None of what you did earlier or just now is okay.” Bon began quietly because Rin could hear him anyway and he wanted to save his voice in case he needed to get loud and shove Rin away. "Asking and listening," he continued, "We can’t have a relationship without that, Fireball."

Rin sat up a little, tail flicking through the air calculatingly as he stared at Bon. "Not after phoenix?" He could feel Rin’s claws poking into his wrists but the grip wasn’t painful.

“After? He’s a familiar.”

Rin growled low in his throat. “He _marked_ you.” Rin snapped. He dipped his head down and latched his lips to Bon’s throat. He couldn’t twist out of the grip. At least his collar would cover it. 

“What are you talking about?”

Rin didn’t respond and instead focused on leaving what was probably going to be an alarmingly large hickey. Bon really liked the slight bite of pain from Rin’s teeth mixed with the pleasure of Rin’s lips but he had to stop this before it derailed and Fireball thought this was all okay.

“Rin!” he shouted and it resulted in Rin wincing back with a scowl. That was one good thing about superior hearing. Loud noises always made him draw back.

He exhaled slowly to try and stay calm and cool. “Let my wrists go.” 

The halfling resisted for a defiant moment before releasing his grip. Bon moved his hand to Rin’s hair as a reward because he was going to do everything he could to encourage listening. The demon turned his head into the touch. 

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about, Fireball. I can’t help if I don’t understand. What do you mean ‘he marked’ me?”

Rin’s flames flared bright and Bon had to squint. He could hear an angry rumble in the halfling’s chest and feel Rin pressing closer. 

“You’re mine. I get to scent.” Rin grunted. It wasn’t exactly an answer but it gave him an idea of what was going on.

Scenting was apparently going to be a big problem. 

"I didn't get his scenting, Fireball. I didn't know demons could scent until you told me." Rin's tail flicked and the halfling's nostrils flared. "I was doing drills and that's all it was. If he scented me, he didn’t do it with my permission or knowledge." he slumped a little as the ache of exhaustion started to settle into his muscles. He really needed to relax and eat soon.

(This was another reason summoning wasn’t fun.)

He kept scratching at Rin’s head. "I'd have showered before I came over if I knew about it. I didn’t want to make you upset." 

He also would have told Karura to keep his scent to himself if possible. He didn't like the idea of walking around and smelling like random demons. Rin was a different matter. It would kind of be impossible not to smell like him with how much time they spent together and how they spent it. He wasn’t sure how scenting worked but if it was like a cat, their cuddle time would leave him smelling like Rin. He wasn’t giving that up.

He was pretty sure Rin had just scented him. He wasn’t sure _how_ and he still didn’t smell anything so that was annoying.

“Sexy still mine?”

The same damn question. They’d gone full circle. He should have spent more time on it during the hand-holding debacle. 

“No and yes. I’m not yours because you know I’m not something that can be owned. But we’re together. I’m yours like you’re mine.” Rin’s tail twitched through the air and Bon wasn’t sure if it was a positive or negative reaction. Rin was still firmly settled on top of him and hadn’t moved away so there was that.

Before he could decide the human part of his boyfriend was back in charge.

“He’s having trouble and wants me to explain.” he tilted his head like he was listening. “Karura challenged him?”

“Huh?”

“You…” Rin blushed. “He’s, uh, already scent marked you? And apparently Karura would know that and scented you anyway?” he paused to listen, his cheeks growing brighter until even his ears were red. “It’s a challenge?”

What the heck? He was stuck in some sort of weird pissing contest between demons? What the hell did Karura think he was doing? That sort of bullshit dominance grab was not going to fly. Demonic boyfriend aside, Bon wasn’t going to let his familiar scent mark him. He wasn’t part of Karura’s territory. He wasn’t part of Rin’s either but that was a different problem.

(Why had no one ever told him about this shit?)

He couldn’t believe his familiar had been playing some sort of territory game with him. Had that happened with a lot of other demons?

Did Shiemi and Izumo deal with that sort of shit?

“I’m guessing you didn’t know about any of that?” Rin shuffled around and seemed to realize he was on top of Bon for the first time. His hair flickered with embarrassed fire as he shifted so they were beside each other instead of being on top of him. 

“No,” Bon grunted and turned over on his side so they were facing each other. “I didn’t know.” He moved his arm so it was draped over Rin’s waist and watched as the halfling moved his own hand to Bon’s shoulder. 

“So,” he finally said, “you’d already scented me?”

Rin’s ears turned pink with the size of his blush. He nodded stiffly. “I have for a while now.”

“While?”

Rin’s eyes dropped to study Bon’s chin like it was interesting. “Before we started dating. You, Konekomaru, and Yukio, of course.”

That made his brow furrow in confusion. “What?”

Rin fidgeted. “Well, I didn’t notice it at first. I just kinda picked up on it before I asked you out.”

“Yeah but why me and Konekomaru?” Yukio made sense but they didn’t. Bon made sense now but it was still strange.

Rin’s eyes darted to him for a second before looking back at his chin. “You don’t have familiars? You’re kinda unprotected?”

Well that answered one of his questions. “So you-”

Rin sprang out of the bed with an angry, animalistic sound. Bon watched in shock as Rin charged towards his bag and jerked it open with a snarl. The seam ripped some as he jerked a small, rattling object out. He barreled back towards Bon, features shifting between human and demon. The object was thrust at Bon and he realized it was a small bottle of pills that he had given his boyfriend a few weeks ago. 

“Huh?”

“Smell.” Rin garbled around his demonic sized teeth. “Hurt.”

Oh. Huh. 

Bon popped open the bottle for his meds and took out a pill. He swallowed it down and rubbed at his temple. He hadn’t realized how tense he was. Hopefully they caught it early enough that the meds would block the pain. 

“Sorry.” Rin grunted, and Bon noticed his boyfriend’s hand was hovering near his like he wanted to touch but was afraid to. Bon flipped his hand around and grabbed Rin’s in his own. Affection for Rin was welling up in his chest as he stared at Rin’s freckle covered face and his sharp cheeks. They’d been in a tense talk and his boyfriend was still watching out for that scent. It made him want to kiss Rin dizzyingly. He was used to watching out for people but everytime Rin did it for him it just… It made his chest feel tight for a moment and caused his breath to hitch.

“Thanks,” he murmured and squeezed Rin’s fingers. “I really appreciate that.” It wasn’t enough but it was a start. He leaned a little closer, wanting to kiss Rin’s cheek or lips-anything would work. Rin shook his head. Flames were spreading through his hair. The demon was in charge and looked upset but not in an angry way. He didn’t seem to notice Bon leaning in.

“Sorry,” Rin reiterated. The halfling was holding tightly to his hand and staring guiltily at the floor. He growled and it took Bon a solid thirty seconds to realize they weren’t growls but some sort of words that he couldn’t decipher.

“Uh, I can’t-”

The human part of Rin took back over. “Are… are we the reason for the migraine?”

Bon shook his head. “I doubt it?” Rin was holding himself stiffly and guilt was evident in every line of his body. “It’s probably all the training and the fact that I missed lunch.”

Rin growled and tugged him towards the kitchen. Bon couldn’t stop a grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter yet, lol. These two wouldn't stop chatting and Fireball was being possessive about his man.


	13. Cultural Confusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tail moment was a request from LigressTheWolf 
> 
> This is a strong T chapter. Clothes stay on but we get heated in our kissing and some light groping. Just in case that isn't your sort of thing, you can look out for the "Loving him or not, Rin was his best friend and Bon would probably always love him," sentence. After that things heat up. (Though they're always hot with Rin, lol)

_Demons/Nephilim are biologically different from humans and culturally different from humans. The first proves interesting obstacles in certain circumstances but you’re going to find most of your communication breakdowns happen on the second one._

_I cannot emphasize this enough: demons are aggressive and open about what they want. If you find yourself bumping up against some issue, ask them what their cultural beliefs/practices are on the problem. There’s a very good chance you’re both just missing something that’s specific to your own culture._

_For instance: it’s a demonic badge of honor to have hickies from your partner. The larger and more permanent the mark, the better it is._

* * *

Rin did a thing where he made a rumbly, happy sound when they were cuddling and it was in Bon’s top five favorite things. He had no idea if it was some kind of purr or a sleepy response but it was content and relaxing and Bon took every opportunity to enjoy it.

He’d finished the bun Rin had made him for a pre dinner snack and he was enjoying the steady warmth his boyfriend radiated. They were cuddled up on the couch together while Bon ate and the rumble had started almost immediately. Rin’s head was resting against his shoulder and he could feel warm breaths against his collar that was warring for his attention against the soft brush of Rin’s tail against his waist. He was sitting sideways with Rin between his legs and across his stomach. Bon was still mildly worried about a migraine popping up and Rin’s warmth seemed like a good remedy. It had helped a lot last time.

He wasn’t sure if Rin was still awake but he didn’t really want to move to check. Bon had already had a long day and he was on board for some destressing and cuddling.

Rin’s face was somewhere between human and demon and his eyes were partially open but that didn’t mean he was awake. He could close his eyes and join Rin in a short nap but he didn’t quite feel like it. Mostly because he couldn’t stop thinking. 

Bon had no idea what he should do about the scenting and territorial thing. He didn’t like being used as some sort of trophy or game piece. He really didn’t like other demons trying to use him to get to Rin either.

In an ordinary, human, relationship he’d tell Rin to stop that shit. Possessiveness wasn’t a good thing. It was dangerous and harmful and turned people into things and broke relationships. He needed to find out the root of the problem but wasn’t sure how. Could he just ask _hey, sunshine, why are you jealous? What’s got you thinking I’m gonna cheat or leave?_

The problem was that Rin wasn’t fully human though so some of the problems weren’t just jealously. They were part of being a demon/halfling. He wouldn’t tell a cat to stop scenting him. He wouldn’t expect it to do that. It was part of their nature. Was it fair to ask Rin to deny that part of himself?

Could he accept the scenting without encouraging the other possessive stuff?

It wasn’t like there was a place he could go to ask about this sort of stuff. People weren’t quick to talk positively about demons or encourage relationships with them. He wouldn’t find help easily. He was pretty sure the only reason no one from the Grigori had interfered was because Mephisto was sweeping their relationship under the rug. Shura and Yukio wouldn’t sell them out and Light probably found the entire thing amusing. 

(He didn’t think too much about Mephisto because that was terrifying. Why did Mephisto want them dating?)

Rin’s rumbling noise grew louder as Bon shifted his grip. He settled his hand on Rin’s back and watched Rin’s tail twitch up towards him. 

“Donburi...” Rin murmured quietly and that was all the proof Bon needed that Rin was asleep. His boyfriend always seemed to dream of food. He mildly wondered if Rin dreamt he was cooking or eating. Either one fit his ravenous chef.

Rin shifted against him, snuggling into his chest, and Bon could feel the rumble now. It was bizarrely soothing. A constant vibration that spread over his entire body. Accompanied with the warm weight of Rin it would be easy to fall asleep with him.

“Ryuuji-” Rin sighed, “mmm.”

He blushed unintentionally as Rin’s tail slipped under his sweater. Only Rin could go from being a wild halfling that shoved him against a wall, kissed him senseless, burned his clothes off in a fit of jealous rage and pinned him to a bed only to then bounce over to a goofy teen who drooled in his sleep and dreamed of food and Bon. This strange boy was somehow dangerously hot and utterly goofy and Bon was in love with him. 

Bon didn’t know when he’d fallen in love with Rin, only that he’d recognized it and -

Well, nothing had changed. It was just a quiet little ‘huh’ kind of a moment. It wasn’t some groundbreaking revelation that changed everything and made his world tilt off kilter. It had just been a small surge of warmth and the urge to squeeze Rin close in a hug. That or press Rin against the nearest flatish surface and get to know him _really_ well. 

He’d spent a few minutes after the recognition of his feelings trying to work out when it had happened but he couldn’t place it. It had happened and he was happy. He hadn’t said anything about it yet because he felt like it should be said in an important moment but he kept second guessing himself. 

Instead he’d just been dealing with occasional burst of intense feelings that left him aching with affection and the giddy urge to tell Rin how much he loved him.

Bon had kept silent about his crush for over a year. He was good at ignoring random bursts of emotions. Granted, that had cost him _months_ dating Rin. It would have cost him even longer if Rin hadn’t confessed.

He was happy with everything now but it still sucked a little that he’d been that much of an idiot-

“Ryuuji, yes.” Rin mumbled into his shirt. A flame flickered in his hair and there was a burst of warmth on Bon’s waist where Rin’s tail had slithered. It flicked up his stomach, tickling his navel and moving higher as Rin’s arms slid around his chest. 

Bon was quite suddenly too warm and blushing despite the fact that there wasn’t anyone else here to notice him and Rin was asleep. (How stupid was it to blush by yourself?)

There was no mistaking the way Rin was pressing against him and -oh god- moaning quietly in his sleep. His tail was trying to tug Bon’s sweater off and the halfling wasn’t even awake.

How did that work? Was he taking advantage now? Should he wake Rin up?

Then what? He couldn’t exactly say: _hey you were kind of groping me in your sleep. Want to carry on where your dream left off?_

That was the sort of shit Renzou would say. 

Bon kind of really wanted Rin to carry on. He wanted Rin awake so he could properly kiss him and the idea of getting Rin and his shirt off was really welcome. He could vividly remember the feeling of Rin’s hands on his bare chest and the way the halfling’s tail had curled around his hip, sliding up his back and everything had been so warm and-

Shit. Now he was uncomfortably hot. Rin’s tail had made its way entirely under his shirt and was flicking over his chest and he needed his boyfriend awake before this got any further.

“Rin,” he called gently because he’d learned you didn’t wake Rin up abruptly before they started dating, “Sunshine, wake up.” He shifted some as he spoke, sliding his hand down Rin’s spine until it was resting at the small of his back. 

He was greeted with a sleepy noise and Rin holding onto him more tightly. Horns poked at his throat as Rin nuzzled into him. 

“Rin,” he tried again and tapped at Rin’s back, “wake up.”

Rin froze, flames flaring over his entire body as blue eyes popped open and he realized he was lying on Bon’s chest.

Bon’s cheeks had to be glowing 

Rin’s rumbling sound and vibrating got momentarily louder before cutting off completely. Rin stretched a little, nuzzling his cheek against Bon’s chest. The halfling didn’t seem to realize he’d snuck his tail under Bon’s shirt. 

“Mmm, is it dinner time?” 

He shook his head and moved his left hand to Rin’s hair. It was still flickering with fire and the small flames were warm against his palm. 

“I don’t think so?” He said softly. Rin tilted his head into the touch and kissed his wrist. An intimate touch over his pulse that made him breathless and had his heart thumping hard. He pressed against Rin’s back to urge him closer and there was no missing the way Rin immediately followed his direction.

Blue eyes turned up to him, sleepy but focused. “I’m in the mood for pizza,” Rin murmured, smiling at Bon with starry eyes, “a pizza you.”

He barked out a surprised laugh that had Rin’s smile spreading all the wider and shit, it was everything all tied up in one moment. The words were right there, just on the tip of his tongue: _god, I love you._

He barely held them back and squeezed Rin close in a hug instead. He pressed his cheek against warm hair, ignoring the poke of Rin’s horns and closing his eyes to just bask in the feelings of love. He didn’t know what to do about the jealousy and he didn’t know why Rin felt the need to be jealous but he loved him anyway and he’d help in any way he could. 

Rin’s tail thumped happily against his stomach but didn’t bother to move out from under his sweater. “Does your head hurt, pookie?”

Bon shook his head, eyes slipping close as Rin embraced him back in return. “I’m good.” His boyfriend was warm and so relaxing. He could feel himself sinking back into the couch and considered just laying out and pulling Rin with him for a nap.

Rin hid his face against Bon’s shoulder, horns poking at his skin and flames licking at his sweater. “I’m sorry about earlier.”

Bon’s hand slid back down Rin’s spine. “Thanks." That nap was being put on hold. "I don’t… scenting doesn’t bother me as long as you let me know you’re doing it. It’s the other stuff that’s a problem.”

“Other stuff?”

Bon dragged his fingers through Rin’s hair, rubbing at his scalp to buy a few seconds before explaining. He had to be careful here. He wasn't even sure of his own thoughts and he didn't want to hurt Rin over something he couldn't change.

“Not listening. Thinking I’m not in this as much as you are.” He didn't want to sound whiny but it _did_ hurt that Rin seemed to think he wasn't in this a hundred percent. He hadn't done anything to give that impression.

“It’s… I know you’re…” Rin blew out a loud breath and rocked his head back and forth against Bon’s shoulder. He could feel the halfling struggling for words and it made him want to help but he didn’t know how other than to just wait. “Demons aren’t like humans.” He finally grumbled. “He wants to put a stamp on your head that says ‘Property of Rin Okumura.’ He wants to bite and scent and make it obvious we’re together but we can barely hold hands.”

“Huh?”

Rin laughed, a sad, upset noise. “Demon’s aren’t subtle, Sweetie.”

“What’s that mean?”

Rin pushed up so he could look at his face. Bon couldn’t help but notice that the halfling’s tail was still wound around his chest. “They’re obvious about their relationships and they lay a lot of claims on each other. They kinda flaunt it? It’s a status and territory thing. Protection too?”

That was a lot to take in.

“So… What?” He asked softly while he caressed the back of Rin’s head. “You want me to leave hickies on you? But-” Rin’s entire body shivered and a few flames flared brightly out of his shoulders and down his spine. The tail against Bon’s side heated up and slipped around to squeeze him closer. 

Holy shit. 

Rin wanted that and Bon had missed it. He hadn’t considered that Rin might need different things from him. He’d considered that Rin would be different but he hadn’t thought about the _obvious_ fact that he might want the same from Bon. That he might want Bon to wear his clothes, get protective over him, scent him, and try to mark him up. No matter Fireball was antsy. He probably felt like Bon was only after the human part of Rin.

Well he felt like an idiot.

“You know,” he murmured and huh, his voice had kind of gotten raspy, “you can ask anytime.” He moved the hand in Rin’s hair to his boyfriend’s chin and tilted it up so they were staring at each other’s eyes. “You heal extremely fast but that just means I’ll have to be thorough.” 

Rin whined low in his throat and it was a sound that shot straight through Bon’s gut. His boyfriend clutched him and shoved up his body so he could smash their lips together. It was a lot more teeth than he was used to, eager and messy in an addictive way.

“Like that idea?” He asked between fervent kisses. “Wanna be marked up?”

Rin’s nails- closer to claws now- dug into his shoulders. “Yes! Sugar puff, how-”

Bon could not have stopped himself from laughing if he had to. He had no defense against the ridiculous names. He had heard dozens and dozens of them but they just kept coming and he never expected them and they were all so wonderfully and absurdly Rin. 

“God,” He mumbled against Rin’s cheek, laughs still bubbling past his lips, “I love you.”

Rin went rigid for a fraction of a second and Bon didn’t understand why until the words replayed in his head. Well. Shit. So much for important moments.

He was pushed back enough that Rin could look at him, all wide eyes and utter disbelief. “Really? After today?”

Bon brought his hand up to run through Rin’s hair and refused to feel nervous or upset. “Of course. One tense day isn’t going to change that. ‘Sides, we figured it out. We won’t have as much of a problem in the future. Fireball can just tell me I smell and we’ll take care of it.”

Rin’s hands slipped up his shoulder to his neck. A thumb brushed over his bottom lip gently. “I love you too. A lot.”

It had been vaguely frightening to know he loved Rin. Having someone with that kind of power over you and them not even being aware of it? Unnerving, but Rin knew and felt the same. 

The overwhelming affection-no, love- was back and Bon was going to drown in the well of it that was springing from his chest. It made his heart actually throb and there was a strange tingle spreading over his entire body and he could hardly breathe around it.

Rin _loved_ him. Staring at his boyfriend, eyes shifting colors, flames burning along his body, freckles dusting his nose… somehow, even while his heart was racing and his chest felt tight with how beautiful and remarkable his boyfriend was, he had still felt comfortable. Loving him or not, Rin was his best friend and Bon would probably _always_ love him, but he didn’t have to worry. Rin loved him.

Before Bon could think of any words to relay the utter magnitude of his feelings there was a hand on the back of his head hauling him forward until his lips were against Rin’s in a deep, messy kiss with Rin’s other hand sliding down his side, hot on his skin. 

He reacted on instinct because his brain was still very much reeling over Rin’s confession and being kissed like this. He wound his fingers around Rin’s biceps - god his boyfriend had nice arms - lithe muscles flexing under his grasp, and kissed back as much as he could. 

Bon had exactly no idea how he ended up on top of Rin on the far too small couch -did he flip them? Was it Rin?- but he was on top and Rin’s neck was too enticing to pass up. It had the immediate, and _extremely_ welcome result of making Rin cry out, clutch his shoulders, and arc off the couch. 

Rin garbled out broken, grunting, raspy words that probably should have sounded savage but just made Bon’s blood feel hot to hear in Rin’s low, demonic, voice. He didn’t recognize the language at all which meant Fireball was in charge and that was fine. Bon loved all of Rin. 

He kissed and nipped and sucked his way up the column of Rin’s neck and paused just under his jaw because it wasn’t shaped quite right. He pulled away the slightest bit to get a better look-Rin’s clawed fingers dug into his shoulder blades and Bon’s eyes momentarily rolled back into his head at the sensation-and saw a hint of a lump. It hadn’t been there a moment ago but Bon didn’t really care. It was probably something with the demonic half of Rin. He returned his lips to Rin’s skin and the halfling’s entire body jerked. Rin’s tail slipped under his shirt, tugging it up as he laved attention to the (gland?) and Rin’s jaw. If he was going to have a hickey on his jaw, then Rin was going to have a matching one. Knowing Rin wanted them was all the permission he needed.

Then, because Rin was Rin and he was tenacious and wild and so many things Bon _loved_ he was on his back with Rin gripping his arms and kissing every inch of his face. He hauled Rin closer, sliding his other hand into Rin’s hair and tugging his head until he could get at his throat again. He wasn’t done with that hickey. It wasn’t fading yet and he wanted it a lot bigger. He was going to make an obvious claim on Rin. Fireball would have no reason to think Bon wasn’t crazy about him.

He didn’t pay attention to his hands because Rin was almost mewling under the attention of his lips. His hand trailed over his boyfriend’s tail and Rin practically exploded with flames.

That was a new reaction. 

He tore his lips away from Rin’s throat. “Is your tail sensitive here?” He’d played with Rin’s tail a lot and never seen Rin react in anyway other than relaxing.

“Hnngh.” Was Rin’s oh-so-intelligent reply. Flames were positively covering him and his hand was clutching at the couch tightly enough to make it creak. 

Bon ran his fingers over the base of the tail again. It was soft and almost silky to the touch. 

Rin’s hand shot to his shoulder. “Yes!” He choked, “It’s sensitive-” His voice cracked and he squeezed Bon’s shoulder more tightly. He couldn't stay still when Rin sounded like that and the way his eyes were burning made Bon feel like he was going to light on fire himself. He surged upwards as he pressed against Rin’s back so they were chest to chest again. He was close enough to kiss Rin’s neck and found the spot he'd been working on once more. Rin's hands instantly clutched him tightly.

(Bon was going to be doing this all the time now. Holy shit.)

Rin ignited and shoved Bon away with a wild growl. “No,” he ordered, eyes half red and fractured with fire, “stop. If you so much as look at me right now I’m going to lose control and burn off your clothes.” Rin’s hands slid up his shoulders, gliding over his neck and settling on his cheeks. It was at odds with his words because now Bon couldn’t look away. 

Bon couldn’t catch his breath and gasping at Rin didn’t seem like the right response. His entire body felt tight. Had he done something wrong and upset his boyfriend?

“You-” he swallowed and couldn’t help but shift in his seat, “are you okay?”

“Yes. I just want this back.” He tugged on the sweater sleeve to emphasize. “And if it gets burned I won’t get to wear it again.”

“Yeah?” Bon murmured in reply, heart pounding, “like wearing my stuff?” And now he thought he understood it a little better. “Like having something that says your mine?”

Rin’s eyes were wide and really, there was nothing else he could do but kiss him again.

(The sweater barely made it out of the resulting flames.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think... Is that the first time I've written Rin's tail as 'sensitive' in that sort of way?
> 
> If there's anything you'd like to see covered, let me know :)


	14. Dealing with Dates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> angeljays gave me the idea for this chapter <3

_ If you're dating a nephilim, you might notice that, on occasion, their demonic half gets a bit... grumpy. If they're like my nephilim, they'll want their own share of your time. If you find yourself spending more time with the human half, don't be surprised if the demonic part starts getting tetchy and trying to takeover more often. This might result in them becoming more aggressive during your shared time (they will try and leave a lot of hickies) or even fighting the human part of themselves. _

_ Remember you're dating the full nephilim. That includes both parts. Don't forget to set aside time for the demonic part. _

* * *

It had probably been happening for a while - because Bon seemed to never notice these sort of things right away - but it started to catch his attention when they were making dinner with the rest of the Cram Group. He was quietly chopping an onion and listening to Rin and Renzou’s excited stream of conscious about the day.

His eyes were burning and it didn’t matter if he was chewing gum or using the sharpest knife in the kitchen. (Second sharpest. No one touched Rin’s knife.) The tears were still coming and onions were overrated for the pain they were to cut. Especially for seven people. 

He didn’t mind the tears so much as the  _ burning. _ It was in his eyes and his nose and he took a little comfort out of the fact that Izumo was sniffing next to him while she chopped the carrots. 

“Shoulda stuck Rin with that.” She muttered, sliding her chopped carrots to the side and pulling a fresh one out of her pile. 

He shook his head and grabbed a fresh onion as well. Chopping the top off it never worked. It still burned. “Nah. Rin flames up when he chops onions. Fireball doesn’t like the burn.”

Izumo eyeballed him with a hint of a smirk that made his own cheeks heat up because dating Rin had increased his blushing a 100 fold. It was a terrible side effect he couldn’t figure out a way to stop. 

“What?” He demanded as he sliced down on the onion. More chemicals and more burn. His cheeks were streaked with tears now. 

“Fireball? You getting cozy with-” She cut off as Rin’s tail trailed up Bon’s back to settle and wrap around his arm. Her grin spread in an almost evil way.

Rin was not apparently aware of his wandering appendage. He kept on chatting with Renzou as he took apart the chicken and chopped it up. Renzou poked him in the side with his elbow after some terrible pun and Rin cackled.

His own lips quirked up at the sound and the way Rin’s entire body moved into the laugh. He watched his boyfriend, not noticing Izumo’s smile spreading until she snickered. The sound drew Rin and Renzou’s attention and made him blush vibrantly and avert his eyes a little too late to not be caught staring at Rin.

The change happened instantly. Rin turned towards him, lips spreading in a sly smile, and immediately lit on fire. His features morphed into his demonic form before Rin got hold of the transformation. The halfling dropped his knife on the cutting board and grabbed the counter for support. The fire flared around Rin, mildly hot and spread across the floor.

“Bluebell?” Bon ditched his own knife and reached for Rin. Renzou and Izumo both backed up in surprise at the shift. Rin’s elbow was hot to the touch and he instinctively drew back. Rin was rarely painful to touch anymore unless he didn’t realize it was Bon. Why had Fireball popped out? What was going on?

Rin straightened, pulling the fire back in and smiling like that hadn’t happened. “I’m good!” He promised, picking the knife up again and moving towards the chicken. “Just gotta finish this and we can start cooking.” 

Bon watched him for a long moment but Rin kept chopping stubbornly.

* * *

It happened again when they were running for endurance training. 

Bon had his pack, his bazooka, his ammo, and his guns and was jogging next to Konekomaru who only had to carry a pack. It was Bon’s fault for double meistering but it was still annoying.

Rin was a few feet ahead with Shura. They’d been running on and off forever (probably two hours at this point) and Bon was trying to decide if it would be an abuse of boyfriend power to make Rin carry his stuff. Shura had already ditched her stuff on him and Rin didn’t so much as pause.

The halfling probably wouldn’t even notice the additional weight. It was  _ so  _ tempting.

Rin stuck his tongue out at Shura and slowed down so he was next to Bon. He grinned, tail wagging through the air, and shuffled close enough that he could bump Bon’s side with his elbow. 

He grinned and caught Rin’s hand for a moment in silent greeting. Rin’s smile grew and -

Fire. 

Rin tripped as flames surrounded him. Bon stopped running and caught Rin by his arm on instinct before he hit the ground. He pulled Rin into his chest as fire covered his entire body and barely caught a glimpse of Rin’s features twisting into their demonic form before his boyfriend was reeling backwards.

“Woah!” he laughed, features shifting back to normal as he regained control. “Almost fell.” He grinned like nothing had happened and turned on his heel. 

Not again.

Bon reached for him and  _ barely _ caught Rin’s hand before he could get away. “Hey-”

Rin jerked his hand free and sped up. His tail wound around his waist nervously in a way Bon couldn’t help but notice. If he wasn’t so tired and they didn’t have another hour of this training he would grab Rin’s hand and pull him aside. He didn’t know exactly what was happening but both halves of Rin didn’t seem to be getting along. It reminded him of the early days after the split. 

Rin passed Shura and ran ahead of the group.

* * *

There was another flare up at their weekly study group, their game night, a random shopping trip and once when they were cleaning coal tars out of a closet.

Each time Rin got control back and each time he pretended like nothing had happened. Fireball didn’t show up on their weekly date night and Bon couldn’t help but feel like Rin was holding the demon back for some reason.

It didn’t make  _ sense. _ He was getting along with Fireball and they were understanding each other. He’d learned about the whole scenting thing and learned that Fireball loved feeling like Bon was pursuing him as well.

Whatever the reason, Bon didn’t like it and he wanted to get an answer. 

Rin was currently sitting next to Konekomaru, dwarfed in one of Bon’s sweaters, and laughing like he wasn’t adorable. Bon was supposed to be practicing his stance for the new bazooka but it was hard to do when Rin’s laughter was bubbling through the air. Konekomaru’s laugh was mixing with it, reserved but sincere, and together they made Bon’s chest feel almost tight with affection.

The random bursts of emotion had gotten worse since he confessed. Knowing Rin loved him just made him feel floaty and he’d catch himself smiling like a loon.

(Shura had caught him a few times and it was embarrassing. His blushing was never going to get better.)

“Suguro,” Shura tapped his leg with her sword in warning. He straightened and put his weight on his other foot. “You’re sloppy. The joke wasn’t  _ that _ good.” 

(Had there been a joke?)

“Sorry, Miss Kirigakure.” He said as he focused on the weight of the bazooka and focusing on his balance. Shura eyed him and circled slowly taking in his stance and his aim. Rin’s laugh cut off but Bon refused to be focused on that. He’d finish the shot and then it’d be Konekomaru’s turn to practice so he could lounge with his boyfriend. 

Bon’s eyes went to the target and he adjusted his position slightly so the aim was steady and-

BOOM

He would never get over the loudness of the bazooka. He had his protective equipment but he could still hear it and the blast of hot air down his back was always uncomfortable and made him worry about a malfunction even though there wasn't any real chance of one occurring. At least he didn't have to worry about a recoil.

"Great, now if you can just get in position faster you'll be good on the field."

He kept his rude remark to himself and put the bazooka back on the racks. He took his protective gear off and it put it back where it belonged and finally made his way back to where Rin was sitting by himself now. Bon sat beside the halfling and took his hand in his own. 

“Hey,” Rin murmured, smile soft and showing a hint of his fangs, “You’re getting good with that thing.”

“The bazooka? Thanks.”

Shura called Konekomaru over and he strode over with a tired nod. Bon watched him go, hand warmly entangled with Rin’s. 

There was, like every other time, no real warning. He squeezed Rin’s hand and his boyfriend’s body was suddenly coated with fire. Rin’s face twisted between forms, struggling against his demon half. 

“Sunshine?”

Rin sucked in a ragged breath and clutched Bon’s hand painfully tight. His boyfriend’s features smoothed out and the flames dissipated. It was happening again. It kept happening and Bon needed answers.

Rin offered him a shaky smile. “Sorry about that.”

Bon glanced at the others. Shura was watching them with a small frown and Konekomaru was focusing on his shield. He caught her eye and she jerked her head to the right where the door was. He took the silent motion as the permission it was and got to his feet, still holding Rin’s hand.

“Come on. Let’s go for a walk.” 

His boyfriend stared up at him with a nervous frown. “Now?”

Bon smiled in a way he hoped was promising. “Why not?” He hadn’t had a lot of practice on being deliberately alluring. It made him feel self conscious and overly aware of his body. (Was he standing weirdly? It felt like he was standing weirdly.)

Rin’s eyes widened and his tail twitched through the air. Bon tugged his hand, coaxing him up, and Rin rose clumsily. He led him towards the door while Rin’s tail wound itself around his arm, and held it open for him. Rin blushed lightly like Bon knew he would and ducked his head with a bashful little smile. 

Bon was struck  _ hard  _ with the urge to pull Rin’s hand to his lips and kiss it. He loved how shy and sweet Rin would get over romantic gestures. He was on a mission though and that sort of kiss would result in Rin trying to turn the tables on him. He’d probably be crowded against a wall and kissed until  _ he  _ was blushing. (It wouldn’t take long either, darn it.)

The school was empty now but they still ended up heading towards their cram school room and shutting the door. Bon set Rin on his desk and moved so he was standing between Rin’s legs with his hands on Rin’s hips. His boyfriend’s tail was wagging wildly through the air now and his hair was shimmery with the slightest hint of blue fire. 

“Really do like the way you look in my clothes.” He murmured. 

Rin’s smile grew. “Yeah?” Bon had plans but damn it, he was weak to that teasing smile. He kissed him softly, barely brushing his lips against Rin’s and smiling himself when Rin tried to deepen it. He kept it soft and lingering, sharing each other’s breath and basking in the warmth that radiated off every inch of Rin.

He hadn’t known a kiss could be calming before Rin. Granted, he hadn’t known how to kiss before Rin, but he’d never heard of them being soothing. Only hot and intense. 

He lingered against Rin for a few moments longer, just letting the tension leak from his body until he felt steady enough to continue.

Rin’s tail coiled around his wrist gently, almost like it wanted to hold him to make sure he was real. The small action made chuchi fill Bon’s stomach. (His stupid cheeks were once again pink. He had to figure out some way to control the blush.)

“Can we talk about it now?” He questioned softly. “I-”

Rin shivered and, for a moment, his horns got sharper and poked against Bon’s forehead. Flames flickered around them both, warm but not painful. 

“Do we gotta?”

Bon moved his hands from Rin’s hips to hold his hands. “Probably?”

“He’s  _ really  _ fighting me now. I don’t know why. He won’t tell me.” Rin huffed in annoyance. “It’s like none of the last year has happened. I’m back at square one.”

Okay. Fireball was tetchy. That probably wasn’t good. What could have set the demon half off? Rin had been getting better about that part of himself. He’d started to accept it and the separation was getting smaller. 

“We could do it like before?” He suggested. “See if he wants to chat with me and you look out for sunshine?”

Rin shivered and the flames grew hotter. “I don’t know.”

Bon shifted his pose and dragged a hand through Rin’s soft hair. Rin’s blue and red eyes peered up at him sadly. “Do you want to try at the dorm?”

Rin shook his head hard enough to make his bangs flop. “Here’s better. Shura could hear you if you called out.”

Was Fireball that upset? Was this going to be a tremendously bad idea?

He nodded his head a little absently. Rin uncoiled his tail from Bon’s wrist and dropped it in his hand. “Pull if he gets crazy.” Rin stared at him for a beat longer, and then Fireball was in charge. His boyfriend immediately wrapped his arms around Bon’s middle and leaned forward so his cheek was against Bon’s chest.

He pet at Rin’s hair gently. “Hey, buddy. What’s got you so upset?” Rin grumbled something he couldn’t understand. He really needed to learn some Gehenna words. “Can’t understand you, Fireball.”

Rin pulled back with an angry glare and a burst of flames. “You’re mine too.” He muttered darkly.

Bon thought about that for a moment but it didn’t make sense. “Yeah?”

“I want time.” Rin added a few other words that sounded like curses and made Bon’s skin crawl uncomfortably. 

“Huh?”

Rin huffed. “Cuddle. Date. Friends.”

Bon thought about that for all of two seconds before he understood. His brain played back over the times Rin had struggled and he could see the connecting thread of himself and domestic moments. It had the immediate result of filling his chest with a soft warmth and making him clutch Rin’s hair.

“You want a date?” He murmured with what was probably an embarrassingly sappy expression. 

Rin’s tail thumped in his hand. “Yes.” The flames grew hot around them in an almost embarrassed way. 

“Then why didn’t you ask, Fireball?” 

Rin growled. “I don’t wanna talk to him.” 

“Hey,” he tugged on Rin’s hair so the demon was looking at him, “that isn’t gonna fly and you know it. I’m fine with dates. We’re done for the day now. I’ve got some homework to do, but we could hang out after dinner?”

Rin beamed and, while it should probably look terrifying with the demonic features, Bon found it endearing. “But,” he added, “I’d like you to chat with Rin about this. You two can’t keep fighting all the time.”

Rin pouted. “My body too.”

Bon nodded. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t talk to each other.” He tapped Rin’s nose and had the fun of watching a blush spread across Rin’s demonic cheeks. Rin didn’t seem to know what to do with the gentle affection and hid his face against Bon’s neck. He could feel Rin’s warmth breath against his skin and it made him grin again.

He could work with this.

* * *

Shiemi supplied him with danger free daisies and Konekomaru allowed him to borrow a few of his meditation candles. (He made doubly sure they weren’t blessed.)

Bon had  _ just  _ enough time after his homework to set up the candles and fetch a few snacks for later in the evening (Rin would always be hungry and he was more agreeable when he was eating) he put the daises in the largest cups he had and made sure to put away his incense so it wouldn’t burn Rin’s sensitive nose. He set some music to play quietly so there wouldn’t be any awkward silences and gave everything one last look over to make sure it was clean. 

Having readied his room as much as he could he dropped into the lotus position to meditate while he nervously waited on his boyfriend. 

It wasn’t that he was scared of Rin. He hadn’t really been  _ scared  _ of Rin since the reveal. He’d almost been scared when Rin had cornered him after the Karura debacle but he’d been confused more than anything. 

This emotion wasn’t fear. It was…

Fear. Shit. Not the kind of  _ ‘you might go postal and burn me’ _ fear he should probably have but a  _ ‘what if things go horribly?’  _ kind of fear.

He had thought, before he’d started dating Rin, that the scary part of being with someone was basically over once you were together. Nope. That just opened up a million ways they could reject or hurt you. Ways you couldn’t always predict or brace yourself against. 

A knock on the door drew his wandering attention. He sprang up, smoothing out his shirt and crossing the floor. He pulled the door open, plastering on a smile that felt a little wild. 

Rin was standing there in slacks and a soft looking blue t-shirt. His hair was combed out of his face and blue eyes were suddenly all Bon could focus on. His smile shifted into a sincere one and he reached for Rin’s hand.

“Hey,” he tugged on his captured hand and pulled Rin into his room, “how ya doing?” He shut the door behind him.

Rin’s smile was bashful in the best ways as he took in the candles and flowers. His tail swished happily through the air, a few flames trailing along its white fur.

“Better. We talked some.” Rin stepped into his space so they were sharing breath with each other and peered up at him through bangs that were already falling back in his eyes. “I think I get it. We’re gonna figure something out.” He dropped his gaze and took Bon’s other hand. “I’ll talk to you later, love muffin? And remember ‘sunshine’.” Bon nodded even though Rin didn’t look up to see it. Rin’s featured shifted smoothly into his other form and Bon was now on a date with Fireball.

Rin’s eyes darted around the room, nose twitching as he inhaled the scents. 

“Smells like you.” He observed, squeezing Bon’s hands like he just realized they were holding hands. It was a little action but it made Bon’s chest feel warm.

He shrugged and hoped it wasn’t a bad or weird smell. “Probably because I live here.” He couldn’t smell anything in the air other than the lingering scent of incense and candle smoke but he didn’t have Rin’s sense of smell. (Was there a way to ask what he smelled like without sounding weird?)

Rin nodded and leaned up. He pressed a clumsy kiss to Bon’s lips without relinquishing his grip on Bon’s hands. The scent of fire was more prevalent around Rin and he couldn’t help but inhale it. The familiarity of Rin’s warmth and the feeling of the halfling’s hands in his had him relaxing into the unexpected kiss. He brushed his thumbs against the back of Rin’s hands and felt his boyfriend inhale sharply. Rin pulled back, brow furrowed in consideration and eyes on their joined hands. 

Bon studied him for a moment but the expression didn’t change. “Everything okay?” 

Rin nodded and smiled a little violently. “Yes.” (It wasn’t his fault the smile looked violent. He had deadly teeth.)

The halfling gave him an expectant look and the nerves Bon was trying to ignore surged up. He didn’t want this to go wrong.

He’d made very few plans but he figured they could start with getting properly in the room. They were still standing in front of the door. He took a step back, pulling Rin with him, and the halfling’s eyes went wide.

“Dance?”

Bon promptly stopped. He hadn’t intended on dancing. He’d thought they’d probably just cuddle and chat. He hadn’t danced much. He’d had a dance with Rin in the kitchen but it had been more of a fun jokey thing and he wasn’t very good. 

“Uh, do you want to?” 

Rin nodded. “Sexy can teach me.”

Rin was staring at him with eyes that -despite being red and fractured with demonic fire - were still entirely familiar and trusting. It was his Rin, regardless of which part of himself was in the lead. He'd danced with the human half, he could help the demon half learn.

"Sure," he murmured thickly. "I can teach ya." 

It was an easier thing to say than do and the first struggle was getting his hands free. He tried to release his hold on Rin but the halfling refused to do the same and just tightened his grip with a petulant frown. 

"Rin," he laughed a little as he shook his hands and Rin kept holding on, "you gotta let go first. I need to show you were to hold and-" 

Rin let go of his hands with a scowl that showed off his teeth. It was less threatening than it should probably be. His tail promptly coiled around Bon's wrist making the entire thing mostly pointless. Still, he could at least move this way. He was able to wrap his hands around Rin's wrists and bring them up to his shoulders. Rin's hands curled around his shoulders, the faintest hint of claws pressing into his skin through his shirt. There was a look of extreme concentration on Rin's face reminiscent of when he was in his sword training or when he was thinking of a new recipe. (Bon was partial to the expression.)

"Hold me like that." He explained and tried to not focus on the way Rin was holding him in such a trusting way. “And I’ll hold you like this,” he grabbed Rin's waist gently and urged him closer. 

It occurred to him at that moment that he hadn't really spent a lot of time studying Rin's face like this. Most of the time Rin was scowling and angry in this form but right now he mostly looked worried. 

The grip on his shoulders was exceedingly gentle for the demon. This part of Rin tended to be rough with everything. It was dizzying to be treated tenderly by someone who could go against demon kings.

“Yeah?” Rin asked in a breathless way. 

“Then,” he moved back the slightest bit, tugging Rin with him, “we move to the music.”

Rin gazed up at him as they swayed to the music and it made Bon’s heart feel like it was twisting in his chest. His movements were clumsier than they should be and not quite on rhythm but Rin didn’t seem to notice. They moved together, dancing to the soft music as Bon led them around the room. Rin’s movements relaxed as the song switched over and he wiggled closer. His socked feet moved quietly over the floor and it hit Bon suddenly how adorable Rin looked in his kitten covered socks that matched his shirt. 

Without any warning, Rin laid his head against Bon’s chest, right over his heart. (It immediately started to thump twice as hard.) 

"I like dancing." The halfling murmured and Bon couldn't have agreed more.


	15. Coos, Growls, and Rumbles... What?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> demonsLOver gave me the idea of vocalizations

_Demons and nephilim will often have very distinct and interesting vocalizations. You’re likely familiar with a few if you’ve reached the point of dating and are aware that they’re a demon/nephilim. The most common and frequently used is the growl and the purr. They are the easiest to notice and decipher. Growl = unhappy/angry. Purr= content/happy. Easy.  
_

_But demons have a much larger range of vocalizations. Some are reserved solely for enemies, some are greetings to other demons, and some are reserved for mates/loved ones._

_That last one is important to learn about. (They all are but you specifically need to know the last one.) There are a few different ones they might use and they’re going to sound different depending on what sort of demon/nephilim you’re dating. Some are greetings, some are calls, and some are simply to relay affection. Also? They're not likely to even notice they're doing it so it's going to be hard to figure out.  
_

* * *

A day trip to the beach was not on the list of things Bon expected or typically enjoyed as far as missions went. Sand was impossible to avoid and it made it necessary to immediately clean all his firearms. It was obnoxious to draw protective circles in, and you could never quite see what all was hiding in the water.

Day trips to the beach for fun though, those were something Bon really enjoyed even if they had proved a struggle in the past. Rin was always trapezing around in swim trunks and it meant the rest of him was bare and damn it all, there was a lot to appreciate there. Bon’s eyes would always be drawn to Rin’s gorgeous back and then he’d have to find some other spot far away on the beach so he didn’t spend the entire trip just ogling Rin.

It took him until they were climbing off the train to realize the obvious. He could spend the entirety of this trip ogling Rin if he wanted. He could appreciate the way Rin looked coming out of the water without worrying about the halfling noticing. They could play in the water together and even stretch out and sunbathe together.

The possibilities were utterly endless and Bon was stupidly excited about it. 

He set up both their stuff as Rin dashed towards the water like a toddler. Konekomaru and Renzou sprawled out on the beach while Izumo and Shiemi shot towards the water as well. Yukio wandered off to the food stands.

Bon considered their spot and decided it was good enough. The towels were pretty close but he didn't think Rin would say anything they were together so they should be close. (Right?) He straightened up and scanned the water to find his boyfriend and it only took a couple of seconds.

Rin rose up out of the water with his head thrown back and the sun shining down on him like he was some seductive creature of legend that would lure sailors to their death. Bon had always prided himself on his control but watching Rin with water streaming down his face and chest… well, he could understand why some sailors might have dove into the water. The allure was a lot to resist.

Rin was shimmery with fire now and all of it made him look otherworldly. He stole Bon’s breath and made his knees weak.

He was allowed to look and there wasn’t a lot else he could do. Rin had all his attention and _mmm,_ he looked gorgeous in the water.

“Do you realize you’re drooling?” Renzou called. Bon clicked his mouth shut and glared at his friend. He set to doing a few stretches to loosen up and discreetly wiped at his mouth. 

“What is it?” Renzou added, “Never seen Rin without a shirt? How slow are you movi-” Konekomaru shoved a handful of sand in Renzou’s face and shut him up. 

“Shut up.” Bon called less venomously than he could have. He tugged his shirt off and dropped it with his stuff next to Konekomaru. “Whatever we’ve done is none of your business.” (He could not _believe_ he was blushing.) He had seen Rin without a shirt before they started dating. That didn’t make it any less of a pleasant view. 

Renzou sputtered and tried to get the sand off his tongue. 

“Are you swimming?” Konekomaru asked politely while he cleaned off his glasses. “Need us to watch your stuff?”

Bon opened his mouth to reply but he caught a strange crooning, chirping sound in the air. It wasn’t like anything he’d ever heard before. It was almost melodical and he couldn’t quite help but turn towards the faint noise.

It was coming from the water and, for a wild moment, his heart pounded with worry because Rin was still in the water and-

Oh. 

Rin was staring at him from a few yards away, a small smile on his lips as he climbed out of the water and moved towards him.

Bon took a step in his direction without quite being able to stop himself. Rin’s smile grew and Bon sped up. He didn’t hear Renzou cackling behind him. 

Rin grabbed his hand as soon as he was near. He was still glistening with water and sun warm to the touch. 

“Bluebell,” He greeted softly. 

Rin tilted his head up playfully and swayed towards him. “Wanna go for a swim, Heart-Throb?”

Bon flashed him a toothy smile as excitement swelled in his chest. He tugged on the hand in his and shot towards the water with his boyfriend in tow. Rin’s laughter bubbled gleefully into the air as they ran together and dove into the water with a splash. Letting go of his boyfriend’s hand, he shot forward with a thrilling sense of joy. He swam further in, cutting through the water and making his way to the deeper area. He drove through it with his arms, kicking powerfully behind himself to increase his speed until his lungs were burning. Lifting his head out of the water and gulping in some air, he glanced through the spray of salt water to see Rin right beside him. They’d gotten past the breakers and were in more tranquil waters now. He slowed to a stop, treading water and waited for Rin to join him. He scrubbed some water off of his face and rubbed his eyes clear as Rin reached him. 

“Hey,” Rin grinned, eyes a dazzling blue with just a hint of demonic red.

“Hey yourself.” Rin’s hands settled on his shoulders as the halfling swam nearer. He knew exactly what his mischievous boyfriend was going to do and he beat him to the punch. He grabbed Rin around the waist and pulled them both under the water. 

Rin lit with sudden fire in surprise as Bon tickled his side. He kissed his cheek under the water, laughter burning in his chest, and pushed away from Rin to get back to the surface. There was something intoxicating about playing with and teasing Rin. He'd always loved it since the moment they became friends and it had only gotten more addictive now that they were together.

Rin caught him before he could get away and shoved him back down with a smile that sent an excited jolt through Bon's stomach. The halfling used his new momentum to break the surface first. Bon shot up after him and tossed his head back to keep his hair out of his eyes as laughter spilled from his own lips. He wiped the water away and caught Rin staring at him with a _very_ flattering expression. It made his insides squirm in a happy way to be looked at like that by Rin and he wanted to see more of it.

Still, he had surprise on his side and he couldn’t lose it. He sent a huge splash towards his boyfriend and promptly swam backwards as hard as he could. Rin gasped, spluttering salt water, and ignited with bright flames. His boyfriend cackled and dove after him and the thrill of it made Bon move faster. He hadn’t fought with someone in the water since he was a kid and _god,_ it was so much fun. Rin was wild and inventive and stupidly quick. He was really cautious with his strength though and Bon was quicker thinking so the battle evened out. 

Rin got him back underwater and - just to show off - Bon did a backflip underwater. Rin flailed a little beside him, flames flickering around them and making the water heat up. That was exactly the sort of reaction he wanted. 

Bon grinned because he couldn't stop the expression and shot back to the surface. Rin-being a bigger show off- flew up into the air and did a back flip like he was some sort of dolphin. He landed several feet away and Bon could only watch him with an open mouth. Rin came back to the surface, wiping water out of his eyes, and the melodic chirping sound filled the air again. 

It was absolutely coming from Rin but he could hardly focus on that. Rin was swimming back towards him, hair flickering with fire as he stared at Bon. Rin was beautiful and something painful and longing welled up in his chest staring at him. He couldn’t stop himself from reaching towards Rin. He caught him by the back of the head and pulled him as close as he could in the circumstances. (Stupid need to stay afloat messing him up.)

“Swimming with you has some benefits,” he murmured, licking salt off his boyfriend’s lips, “the water’s always warm.” 

Rin clutched at his arms. He made a short chirping noise that was strangely alluring and Bon kind of wanted to hear more of it. 

Rin’s eyes were twisted between red and blue, swirling and burning and Bon didn’t even notice the hands on his arms slipping up to his cheeks. Rin drew closer, lips parting in a beautiful smile, eyes still on Bon’s face for a long exhilarating moment. He stared back, a little breathless, as Rin leaned in. Rin claimed his mouth in a reassuring, gentle kiss that sent tingles through his stomach and along his skin.

Deceptively delicate fingers (which could break a boulder in half if they wanted) traced his cheeks, thumbs gently brushing along the edge of his ear. Rin kissed him more and if there wasn’t an actual danger of drowning he’d move closer and wrap himself around the halfling. 

Swimming was fun but he’d rather be back on shore. They couldn’t be like this but they could cuddle next to each other. 

Bon broke the kiss to get a breath and try to move closer to Rin without stopping his tread. Rin’s cheeks were pink now and his hair was sticking to his face in wet clumps that drew Bon’s eyes. His boyfriend released his cheeks and dropped his hands down to curve around the back of Bon’s thighs. He tugged and Bon followed the insistent pull with a little confusion. Rin guided him until he had his legs wrapped around Rin’s waist. The halfling kept them both afloat and, yeah, this was much better. Rin could probably keep this up for hours without feeling tired. 

His boyfriend’s eyes were swirled with fire, his pupils were red, and his skin was warm to the touch. It was a nice alternative to the cool water. 

Rin made the chirping sound again. His eyes promptly widened and his left hand moved to cover his mouth like he couldn’t believe he’d just made that noise. Bon tilted his head curiously. He’d heard it several times today but couldn’t really remember hearing it before. 

“What was that?”

Rin shook his head and now his blush had spread to his ears. “I don’t know.” he mumbled around his hand. “It keeps happening.” 

Bon pried Rin’s hand away from his lips. “Since when?” He leaned back a little so he could see Rin’s face more clearly. The red became more pronounced in Rin’s eyes and he chirped once more. It was a melodic noise, not quite animalistic but definitely not human. 

Bon quirked his eyebrow and couldn’t help but grin. “Fireball? That your doing?”

Rin’s hair flared with fire. It made it look like the ocean was glowing around them. He nodded his head.

“Why?”

Rin blushed and it made the fire around his face look a little purple. “Calling Sexy.”

He tried to think about it. (It wasn’t his fault that Rin was so close and smelled like campfires and that the hand on his back had so much of his attention.) He just couldn’t make sense of it. (Not with so many distractions.) 

“Huh?”

Rin’s hand slid up his back until it was curled around the back of his neck. “Calling for Sexy.” He made the chirping noise again but it went on longer and got lower. For some reason it made something in Bon’s chest go warm and soft. 

Rin’s brow furrowed when it became obvious Bon didn’t understand. His boyfriend grabbed his left leg and tilted his head down in thought. “Hold on,” Rin mumbled, “I think… I think I get what he’s trying to say.” He blinked again and flushed a violent red. Flames exploded all around his body, dancing up Bon’s arms as well. It was a delicious heat against the cooling water on his body. “Oh. _Oh.”_

Rin’s tail slipped around Bon’s calf. 

“Bad?” He asked a bit more breathlessly than he meant to. Rin shook his head. “Embarrassing?” Rin nodded.

Calling. Did he mean it literally? But why not just shout? Rin only ever called him that way.

“I, uh,” Rin fidgeted and ducked his head, “I’ll tell you later? When we’re not here?” 

Bon kissed his nose because he could and the flames felt nice against his skin. “Sure. Just so long as you promise to tell me.” (Calling… it was a melodic sound but what did it mean? Why would it embarrass Rin?)

Rin nodded and hugged him closer. Bon’s body relaxed against him as the warm heat seeped into him. The worry about earlier faded away as he leaned against Rin and sought out his lips in a gentle kiss. 

Forget the shore. This was great.

* * *

It took them a while to get back to land. Once they managed it though they went to the spot Bon had claimed earlier and shoved Renzou’s junk back to his own towel. Rin went to check on Yukio while Bon settled down and pulled out a pair of sunglasses from his stuff. 

He scanned the beach for Rin and found him a dozen or so yards away, chatting amicably with his twin. Rin’s tail was wagging through the air and Bon, utterly distracted, didn’t notice the approaching girls until they were on him.

“Hey,” he tore his eyes away from Rin with more effort than should probably be required. It was a very short brunette with a big smile and green eyes. She was wearing a loose shirt over her swim suit and was fiddling nervously with something in her hand. There was another girl standing beside her who was slightly taller with dark hair and a bored expression. She was in a polka dot bikini and was examining the beach. 

“Yes?” He wasn’t sure what they wanted or what exactly was going on. 

“I,” the girl swallowed and fiddled with her paper, “uh…” He directed his full attention to her and she blushed a bright red. She shoved her object at him and stepped back, colliding with her friend. He took the paper because he wasn’t sure what else to do. There were a few numbers sprawled across it.

He hadn’t been hit on in a month. He’d kind of hoped it would stop since he was dating Rin. Everyone in their classes knew they were together. He’d just forgotten that people outside of the school wouldn’t have a reason to know. 

“Oh,” he spluttered a little awkwardly. He could see Renzou and Konekomaru in his peripherals and they were grinning at him like this was amusing. (Traitors.) “uh, thank you but-”

“I told you.” The other girl muttered. “He was staring at the other boy. He doesn’t swing that way.” 

He hadn’t been staring. (He had but he wasn’t supposed to be called out on it now.)

The brunette flushed darker and fiddled with her glasses. “Sh-shut up! I had to try.” She bowed to Bon. “I’m sorry.”

He gave her back the paper and she ran off with her friend following. Bon watched them run off, his own cheeks bright pink, and tried to ignore the snickering he could hear from Renzou and Konekomaru. He’d glare at them but he knew it’d just make him blush harder. 

There was a fading hickey on his jaw and another on his neck. He didn’t look single. Would a ring or something help? He didn’t like being sought like this. It was uncomfortable and awkward and he just wanted to enjoy being with Rin without all the extra attention and weird situations. 

Whatever. He’d just ignored it and eventually it would go away. It was already a lot better than it had been and he got the pleasure of dating Rin. 

He couldn’t help but smile a little at that thought. Maybe he’d grab Rin and they could go for a walk around the pier. They could get a few snacks and find a secluded spot. Maybe they could even sneak a kiss. 

“Well your mood seems to have improved.” Renzou called. He glared at him and crossed his arms over his chest in annoyance. “Did they perk you up? Think you’d lost the draw since Rin came along?”

“Shut up.” Bon muttered for the second time this trip. “You know I hate that stuff.”

Renzou sighed dramatically and flopped back. “It’s so annoying! Why do the taken people always get all the offers?”

“Who was that?” 

Bon, to his embarrassment, jumped. He hadn’t heard Rin move towards him. His boyfriend’s tail trailed up his side and flicked against the back of his neck. 

“No idea.” He murmured. He turned towards his boyfriend and tucked a few strands of his hair behind his ears. It was all the affection he was comfortable with outside of hand-holding. He couldn’t trust in everyone being nice around them. He couldn’t imagine how Rin would react to a heckler. Fireball would not be amused.

Rin’s hand wrapped around his waist and tugged him closer. The halfling made a strange bobbing motion with his head and rubbed his cheek against Bon’s neck.

He wasn’t positive, but he was pretty sure he’d just been scented by his boyfriend. That was something he knew happened but he had never been aware of when it was happening. He felt like he should say something but he didn't know what and -

Rin leaned in like he was going to kiss him. Bon turned his head away, blush bright and stomach twisting uncomfortably. There were a _lot_ of people around. Rin knew he didn’t like that kind of pda.

“Come on,” He plopped to the ground and tugged Rin with him. He stretched out and propped an arm under his head like nothing weird was happening. He was self conscious and uncomfortable and didn't want anything bad to happen because he really wanted to enjoy today. He knew he was a stickler about pda and he knew it upset all parts of Rin that they couldn't be more affectionate in public but...

Rin remained up for one more moment before following Bon down to his own towel. He shuffled closer to Bon and settled beside him. They laid like that; hands held, heads tilted towards each other as they soaked in the sun and Bon's heart settled a little. 

He… it was a little thing after all the swimming earlier but it made his heart flutter and caused his stomach to fill with chuchi. He could sunbathe with his boyfriend. They could lay like this and it wasn’t weird and it was natural and Rin didn't mind that it wasn't more. They were together and Rin loved him and…

He swallowed away a sudden lump in his throat. 

“Sorry,” Rin mumbled. 

Bon tugged his hand to his chest. “Thanks. I know… I know I’m strict about that but-”

Rin shuffled a little closer so their legs were touching. “I don’t mind.” 

Bon kissed his knuckles and set their joined hands back over his heart. The rumbling noise Rin sometimes made when they were cuddling filled the air and Bon’s lips quirked up in a smile. He loved that sound. 

He tilted his head towards Rin and grinned as the rumbling sound got louder.

It was exactly what he'd always imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is part one of two for the beach day. I'm going to go into the sounds Rin is making in more depth in the next chapter. Feel free to leave guesses and or things you'd like to see. Also, you can chat with me on tumblr as well. I'm tonguetiedraven over there too. 
> 
> Also: I made some art for this story. This is intended to be from the swimming scene in this chapter. I failed on my undercut attempts so we have rooster Ryuuji. 


	16. Vocalizations and Communication

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beach day part two!

_Don’t be surprised if the more time you spend with your partner the more you start recognizing the noises they make. My nephilim is prone to calling out when he wants my attention or is worried I’ll leave. They’ll often combine their vocalizations with other behaviors such as scenting or teeth baring._

_Don’t freak out about the vocalizations. If you have no idea what they’re trying to communicate, let them know. Their noises are often unintentional and they may not even be aware they’re communicating to you like that._

* * *

Rin went to get snacks and Bon decided it would be a good moment to reapply his sunscreen and possibly go for a walk. They could explore a few shops along the pier and maybe find a hidden away spot for a quick kiss. 

He found the sunscreen and couldn’t help but smile a little. He doubted Rin could get sunburned but he didn’t want to risk that.

Bon’s human skin was entirely susceptible either way. He was also determined to enjoy all the coupley beach things with Rin that he could. He’d been pining every time they’d been to the beach before and he’d had a lot of day dreams and -stupid as it might be -rubbing sunscreen on Rin’s back had featured in a few. 

(Rin had a really nice back and shapely shoulders and Bon had wanted to touch them for a while.)

“Need some help with that?” A low voice Bon did not recognize asked. A shadow moved over his towel and he lifted his head to see who was causing it. A teenage boy who was probably his age was standing in front of him. He had long dark hair he’d tied back and he was wearing dark swim trunks. He wasn’t quite as muscular as Rin and he had a confident smile on his lips. 

Bon had exactly no idea who this was. “What? Can I help you?”

The boy crouched next to him. “Actually, I was wondering if I could help you.” He motioned towards the sunscreen. “Wondered if you might need some help with that.” His smile spread as he spoke and it made Bon uncomfortable. “My friends came by earlier? They said you seemed to swing my way.” 

Bon didn’t like the way the guy was looming over him. He scrambled to his feet, still clutching the sunscreen, and shook his head. (He could tell his _stupid_ cheeks were already red.) The other guy straightened as well and stepped a little closer.

Bon tried to put some space between them. “I’m not interested. I already have a boy-” he didn’t get to finish the sentence as said boyfriend came bouncing back over to him with a variety of snacks and a big smile. His tail was wagging through the air cheerfully and it promptly stilled when Rin saw the other guy hanging close to Bon. 

He was suddenly struck with the intense urge to shove the boy away. 

1) Fireball was easily made jealous and he got dangerous when jealous.

2) Bon did _not_ want Rin to think he was flirting with some random dude. 

(They were working on the jealousy thing but they needed more time and he was _not_ letting some random guy get in the way of his sunscreen daydream. He had been waiting for over a year. He would punt this dude in the ocean if he had to.)

“Boyfriend.” He finished and he let his lips lift in a soft smile as he gazed over at Rin. “Hey, Bluebell.” 

Rin smiled stiffly, eyes darting between him and the other guy. 

“Ah,” The guy hummed. “I see.” He offered a broad grin to them both. “Well, I’ll be around.” he rose to his full height (he was the Yukio kind of tall) and waved before leaving. 

“Who?” Rin hissed in a low voice that made Bon’s skin tingle. Fireball was all over that voice. 

“No idea. He just showed up.” Bon fiddled with the sunscreen. “Come on. I need some help with this and I don’t want to risk you getting a potential burn.”

“What did he say?” Rin growled. A bright flame ignited at the tip of his tail and Bon eyed it distrustfully. 

“Rin, stop that. It doesn’t matter what he said.”

Rin plopped the snacks down on the towel with a grumble of Gehennan words. A few snacks fell off his tray from the angry movements. Bon watched him warily and saw the paper at the exact same time Rin did. It was obviously a phone number and it had been tucked against Bon’s towel so it wouldn’t fly away.

Bon had said _no._ Why did no one ever listen to him? He wasn’t interested in that guy or the girls or any of this shit.

Rin lit with fire. Bon dropped the sunscreen, grabbed up the bottle of water his boyfriend had just bought, and splashed it at Rin’s face. The halfling spluttered in shock and the flames dissipated.

“What?!” Rin demanded in annoyance. Bon shrugged and grabbed his sunscreen back up.

“It was either that or tossing you in the ocean. We can’t afford you lighting up in public. You know how the Grigori get. Last thing I want is Angel popping up and ruining our date.” He didn’t want Angel popping up, period. He hadn’t been a fan of the way the Paladin treated Rin before they were dating. Now that he knew more about what the man had done he wasn’t confident he’d be able to keep from punching him in the face. It probably wouldn’t end well.

Shaking the thoughts away, Bon kissed Rin’s nose and grabbed the note with his free hand. He pressed it into Rin’s hand and pushed down the urge to give Rin’s wet face a proper kiss. He was halfway between forms and looked rumpled and confused and it was all more adorable than it should be. 

“You can do whatever you want with that. I don’t want it.”

Rin curled forward and blocked his hand from view. A moment later he dropped a pile of ash on the sand next to their towel and buried it petulantly. 

Bon twisted the top off the new bottle of sunscreen to get to the seal. He was living out this daydream, damn it. 

“You know,” he mumbled while he struggled with the aggressively stuck seal, “I hate that kind of attention? Always have.” Rin tilted his head. “I was really excited about today because we’d finally get to spend it together and I _swear_ every time you wander off someone appears and I’m tired of it.” He got the damned seal off and tossed it aside. “You know the answer?” 

Rin blinked and shook his head. “Stick with me. Stop wandering off.” Bon stated and tried not to feel self conscious. He hadn’t planned this part out. How did you ask someone to put sunscreen on you without coming off pervy? He’d only heard Renzou ask and everything his pink-haired friend did came off pervy.

Rin saved him the trouble and snatched the bottle out of his hands. He shuffled behind Bon and slid warm hands along his shoulders. Bon’s entire body shivered at the light touch and he had to grit his jaw in fear of making some sort of inappropriate sound. 

Rin’s hands heated up as he applied more pressure to Bon’s back. Soft kiss were placed to the nape of his neck and the intimacy of Rin’s breath on his skin and the solidness of his touch had Bon’s insides feeling trembly. He wanted to turn around and grab Rin up in a tight hug because it was getting hard to contain this feeling. 

Rin continued with his shoulders, his neck, his arms, spreading the sunscreen and making Bon’s entire body feel alight and buzzy. He could feel Rin’s breath on his skin and his hands were so careful despite how strong he was and it all made him breathless. It was better than his daydreams. It was real and it was his boyfriend and-

Suddenly it was his turn. 

Rin settled in front of him with his tail swishing through the air. Bon picked up the bottle, squeezed some on his hand and shuffled closer. 

That was when he realized Konekomaru and Renzou had abandoned their towel at some point and it was just him and Rin over here.

“So,” he started as he spread the lotion between his hands, “about-”

The chirping, musical sound rumbled from Rin’s chest and Bon paused with his hand an inch or so away from Rin’s shapely shoulders. He held the pose for an endless second, trying to understand what it was, and Rin leaned back into his hands. 

Right. Focus.

(Rin’s skin was really warm and soft and he had firm muscles and Bon was _permitted_ to touch.)

The sound shifted into a low noise that was somewhere between a moan and whine. It didn’t sound upset but it did make Bon lean forward to see Rin’s face. His eyes were half-lidded, his mouth was slightly open, and everything about his expression said _content._

It made Bon’s cheeks heat up in a pleased blush. Apparently he wasn’t the only one who liked the idea of this. He already knew from his migraines how nice it felt to have Rin massaging his neck and shoulders and… huh. He’d have to put that on his list of things to try some day. 

The blush on his cheeks deepened as Rin’s tail thumped happily against the sand. Bon spread his hands over Rin’s shoulders and down his back, eyeing Rin’s tail as it continued to twitch happily before wiggling its way around Bon’s calf. Rin pressed into each touch like an eager cat, soaking up the affection and occasional kiss Bon dared to give.

This was exactly what he’d imagined. Sweet and simple contact. Something intimate without being weird. The kind of casual couple thing that most people probably didn’t think about but made everything in his chest warm. He kept his hands steady and smoothed the lotion over Rin’s back. (There was so much warm skin and Rin had such nice muscles.) He broke the contact with Rin’s side just long enough to squeeze some more sunscreen on his palm and Rin immediately began the melodic chirping sound again. 

The tail around his leg tightened its grip as if making sure he wouldn’t get away. He watched it with a small smile, the sound making his chest feel a little tight. 

The noise got louder before Rin twitched and it cut off abruptly. 

“Hey,” Bon murmured as he grabbed Rin’s arm and spread the lotion over it, “I’m not sure what’s going on with that, but I kind of like it.” Rin’s nails lengthened as he spoke and a glance proved that the demon half was back in charge. 

The sound came longer and lower. Rin leaned towards him, eyes blazing, and it clicked. 

He knew what it was reminding him of and his cheeks immediately flushed a bright red. He had to be wrong. He had to be going down the wrong path. It couldn’t be some kind of mating call. 

_Calling for Sexy._

Well damn. 

Rin was calling for him alright and Bon was happy to answer. Well, he would be when they weren’t on a crowded, public beach. For now he laced his fingers with the halfling’s and set the sunscreen aside. (He forgot to cap it.)

“Come on,” He murmured because if he didn’t move now he was going to push Rin back on this towel and make out with him and Rin would light on fire and they would get in trouble for so many things.

Rin tilted his head curiously. His eyes were flickering with fire and the red was becoming more pronounced. It was a beautiful mix of color and he loved it but if Fireball got full control there’d be fire and there’d be trouble. He’d make sure they got some cuddle time tonight after they got back.

Bon got to his feet and offered Rin his hand. “Come on. Let’s go for a walk and eat.” Rin took his hand and stood happily. He picked up the forgotten snacks and passed him a few bags of chips.

He caught Izumo’s eye as she was coming back from the beach and received a nod of acknowledgement so their stuff would be safe. 

Rin held his hand and leaned in close so their sides were pressed against each other as they wandered towards the pier. Rin’s tail flicked across his back occasionally as it wagged cheerfully through the air. It was a ticklish sensation that made him want to laugh but he swallowed it down. 

Rin yammered about the shops in an excited ramble that was unfairly cute and Bon followed, talking him out of a few over priced souvenirs. They earned a few pointed looks that made him steer his boyfriend back towards the beach.

“Ever made a sandcastle?” Rin asked suddenly and Bon laughed.

“What are you, four?”

Rin pouted (adorably) and poked his side. “I bet you have. Probably measured them out and everything.” He grinned suddenly, showing his fangs as he squinted up at Bon. “Bet I can make a bigger one!”

Bon hadn’t made a sandcastle since he was little and his parents took him to the beach together. He’d make them with Konekomaru while Renzou caused chaos in the water. They’d made a replica of the temple one year. Kinzou had stepped on it. Renzou had been happy to help them exact revenge upon his older brother.

The memory made him grin. He hadn’t thought about any of that in so long…

Rin squeezed his hand. “Please?” He swayed closer as he asked, body barely not touching Bon’s. He met his boyfriend’s gaze and took a second to appreciate the fact that he was allowed to look his fill. He knew he was grinning and wasn’t that a strange thing? Rin made him smile way more than he used to. Rin brought it out in him. 

“Sure. But don’t expect me to go easy on you just ‘cause you’re my boyfriend.” 

Rin beamed. “You wish, Hunky-Punky.”

Bubbly happiness filled his stomach and made his chest warm. It was impossible not to lean closer even as the laughter slipped out. He was dating such a ridiculous dork.

“Shit,” he murmured, light and giddy, “I love you, Sunshine.” The familiar ‘whoosh’ of Rin’s tail wagging filled the air and the bubbly happiness got bigger. 

Rin glanced around and darted up to press the quickest of kisses to his lips. “Come on,” he tugged on Bon’s hand, “let’s go!”

Rin took off at a dash towards the sandier part of the beach. “Let’s find a good spot!”

“We don’t have any supplies.”

“Doesn’t-” Rin slipped on some sand and went careening forward. He tugged Bon with him and they both went down in a pile of limbs and sand. Rin grunted as he collided into Bon and Bon joined with his own pain grunt as the air was knocked out of him. It was an awful and unfortunately familiar sensation.

(He never minded Rin on top of him but he didn’t like an elbow to the gut.)

Rin’s head shot up and stared down at him with a frown. He dipped a little and nosed at Bon’s throat. He made a snuffly sound that was weirdly inquisitive. Bon didn’t have any air to respond with. 

“Sexy?” Rin grumbled with another snuffly noise. Bon pat his side to reassure him as he tried to breathe again. Rin’s elbow moved off his gut and that helped. 

“Don’t think,” he managed once there was _finally_ some air in his lungs, “that’ll give you an edge in the castle competition.”

Rin’s tail whizzed through the air again. He tugged Bon upright and pointed towards the shore. “Over there. The perfect spot to beat you.” 

“Keep talkin’ shit, Okumura.” He grinned as he got to his feet, “It won’t help.”

Rin pressed up against him again. “Race ya?” And then, like a cheater, he dashed off. Bon swore and took off after him but there wasn’t any real chance. Rin had been fast before the sword broke. Now he was impossible to catch. 

That didn’t make it any less fun to chase after him.

He ran for all of a minute when he spotted a strange looking lump of coral and sea life. Rin stopped dead in his tracks as the lump shifted and started to rise. Bon moved to his side a little warily. There wasn’t the heavy feeling of malice in the air that always seemed to happen when they were going to get attacked. He unwound his prayer beads from his wrist anyway and tangled them in his fingers for a quicker response.

The bundle of seaweed, corals, and seashells toddled over to them and Bon got his first proper look at it. The resemblance to Nee was uncanny, instead of being made of grass, moss, and flowers, this creature was made of articles from the sea. 

The demon made a delighted squeaking noise and raised its arms in the air like a child that wanted to be picked up. 

Rin flickered with a fine sheen of flames as the demonic part of himself took full control. He doused the flames with a glance at Bon and stepped forward so he was between him and the approaching… Sea Monk? He was pretty sure that was what it was. He’d never actually seen one before. 

Rin bobbed his head forward, somewhat like he had when he’d scented Bon earlier, and blew out a breath through his nose that was almost a snort. It joined a weird rumble in his throat to make an entirely animalistic noise. It wasn’t aggressive, at least not compared to the other sounds Bon had heard Rin make. 

The sea monk grew bigger with every step he took until he was about as big as Rin. He wrapped his arms around the halfling with a happy squeaking sound and Rin returned the affection with a pat on the back and a repeat of the first sound. The flames shimmered for a second as the demon part receded. 

“Hey!” Rin exclaimed with an excited twitch of his tail as he let the sea monk go, “how ya doing? I haven’t seen you since the kraken!”

What?

“Mwgaa!” The sea monk boomed. He spread his arms with the exclamation and indicated the rest of the beach. 

“Seriously? The whole thing? That’s awesome!” Rin stepped back as he spoke and caught up Bon’s hand in a casual way that shouldn’t have made his heart swoop like it did. 

The sea monk tilted its large head and squeaked once more. His ocean colored eyes darted between Bon and Rin curiously and it almost appeared that he was smiling.

Rin blushed and nodded his head. “Yeah,” his thumb brushed against the back of Bon’s hand, “We’re gonna build sandcastles.”

The demon shrank to the size of a golden retriever and plopped down in the sand with a happy grunt. 

Okay… were they being joined for their sandcastle contest? He’d… Well he’d already had Rin to himself for most of the day he could spend a portion of it with a (friend? Ally?) the sea monk and Rin.

“Hey!” Bon’s back stiffened at Renzou’s excited voice. “Sandcastles?”

Konekomaru and Renzou were strolling towards them with Shiemi. Izumo was probably still sunning. Shiemi rushed to the sea monk and gave him a hug. He squealed and squeaked excitedly at her for a few minutes.

Well, the date portion was over. At least he’d get to sit next to Rin on the ride back and he’d get some cuddle time after dinner. 

The sea monk gave them each a shell that could serve as a shovel and a soaked the sand for optimal building. Bon plopped down and began immediately. He was going to build his temple like when he was young, before it got ruined. Rin had never seen it that way.

Renzou was building a traditional sandcastle and going for height over all else. Konekomaru was attempting to build the Kyoto headquarters and even had a spot for the inn.

Shiemi seemed to have misunderstood the ‘castle’ part of the challenge and was aiming for a model of Nee. 

Rin was making his monastery. It was sloppily built but he could tell what it was and it looked pretty good for only having a seashell as a tool. He’d decorated the sides where the windows should be with strips of seaweed and it was cute.

Renzou kept tossing sand at Konekomaru who retaliated by throwing a lump of seaweed at his face. Bon snorted and missed the mischievous grin on Rin’s face. 

He did not miss the sand dumped on his head.

He sputtered, spitting sand out of his mouth and shaking it out of his hair.

“You,” he growled, turning on his giddy boyfriend, “are dead.” 

Rin squeaked as Bon tackled him into the sand. 

In the end, Nee was the only structure left standing. 

* * *

There was still sand in Rin’s hair despite how many times Bon had tried to brush it out. He could feel it gritting around his own shoes and feel it in his clothes. Sand was a menace. 

He didn’t care as much as he had on every other trip to the beach he’d ever taken. 

Rin was holding his hand as they boarded the train. They took seats near the back with the rest of the group and Bon leaned in so their arms were pressed together. 

“Hey,” he murmured as the others got involved in a debate of whether konsome or pizza flavored chips were better, “Thanks… For today? It, uh, meant a lot.” 

Rin gazed up at him with beautiful eyes and a soft adoring expression that would probably always make Bon’s chest feel just a little tight. “I loved it just as much as you did, Dream Boat.” His smile grew a little mischievous. “You know,” he added as his tail slipped around Bon’s waist, “I used to sneak glances at you when we’d get beach assignments and it always drove me crazy how you went off by yourself to read or set up some important circle.”

Bon could feel the laugh bubbling up in his chest but he held it in. He could not believe how much time they had wasted.

He tilted his head over Rin's and listened to the quiet rumble of contentment. At least they weren't wasting anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to become a series soon. I've got a few higher rating ideas but I don't want to change _this_ stories rating. I'm hoping to post the first story tomorrow :)


	17. Tells from the Tail

_If your nephilim/demon partner has a tail and/or wings, you are in luck and have been gifted a useful tool to gage your partner’s emotional state._

_Not only do you have the normal tells of a typical relationship - ie, words, tone, expressions, body language, you also have the fact that tails and wings are very expressive things. It doesn’t take a long time to pick up on what they’re telling you. You can assess moods (happy, sad, scared) and if they’re attention has wandered to a potential threat._

* * *

Bon loved Rin’s tail. It was a weird thing to be fond of but he was. Probably because he couldn’t really imagine Rin without one. There was a time when he hadn’t known Rin had his tail but he always found himself subconsciously adding the tail in his memories. 

It had been one of the most distracting things about Rin before they started dating. With any other crush he could have just avoided looking at their face and probably been mostly okay but _no._ Rin had to have his ridiculous (adorable) tail. It was always visible and moving, distracting him from whatever he’d been trying to say and making his heart flutter. 

Or worse, he’d get that _ache_ of want and sorrow because he couldn’t have and it was all caused because he caught a glimpse of a wagging tail. 

Renzou found him watching the way Rin’s tail flicked through the air while the halfling practiced his drills. He was still being teased about that. He’d lost track of how many times Renzou had called him a furry. (He wasn’t. He didn’t care about tails in general. The tail just made him think of Rin.)

“You’re staring.” Rin hummed without lifting his gaze from his book. He’d been trying to read the same page for at least two minutes now. Bon was pretty sure he wasn’t paying anymore attention to his schoolwork than Bon had been.

“Do you brush your tail?”

What in the _hell_ was wrong with him? Why had he just asked that out loud? That was not the sort of thing you asked someone in such an offhand way. Especially not when said person had self-image issues. 

Rin’s tail went stiff in the middle of the air before dropping, probably to tuck around his leg in embarrassment. 

“Uh… I try. It’s…” Rin fidgeted and turned the page. “It’s real sensitive and hard to reach some parts.”

Bon’s cheeks were warm and how was that fair? Rin wasn’t blushing. Much. His ears were a little pink and that would always be cute.

Rin fiddled with the paper. “I know it’s kinda weird.” 

Bon rested his cheek against his hand and let his smile show. “I like your tail.” He didn’t spend enough time telling Rin all the ways he was cute. And there were a _lot._

Rin’s cheeks turned pink and his eyes went wide. “You do?” Bon nodded his head and kept his smile easy. “Oh.” Rin’s tail lifted back up and wagged quickly through the air at a speed that made it look like a white blur. Part of Bon wondered if he ever got sore from tail wagging. If it was like when you overworked your arm and it ached for a while when you used it. Dogs could sprain their tail. Could a halfling or a demon do the same? 

He added it to the list of questions he’d ask someday. 

Bon straightened and tried to reel his thoughts back in. 

“You got a lot left?” He’d already finished his homework and his stuff for the rest of the week. He was typically ahead of Rin but now he was out of stuff to do. He’d be happy to help but sometimes Rin got upset when he helped.

(It wasn’t his fault he took schoolwork very seriously.)

Rin paused for a second. “Uh,” his tail drooped down and curled around the bench. “Yes. I’ve got a few hours left.” He stood up abruptly and grabbed his books up. “I’ll probably finish it at my dorm though. Gotta get dinner for Yukio and stuff.” 

“Oh, Bon started gathering his own stuff together, “I could come over-”

Rin’s tail went abruptly straight in the air before dropping and bending towards his legs. “Nah! You don’t have to. It’ll be real boring for ya. I’ll just text you when I’m done and we can talk before bed?” He gathered more of his supplies to his chest.

“Sure?” 

Rin bent down and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before darting away with his books in a sloppy pile and his tail curved nervously between his legs.

Bon had _no_ idea why, but Rin had just lied to him. Repeatedly. He didn’t know where Rin was going but it was not to his dorm and it sure as hell wasn’t to make Yukio dinner.

What was going on? He’d been under the impression that they were going to spend the evening together. It wasn’t their date night but everything had been leading that way. Now he didn't have a date and he was confused.

Bon finished piling his books back into his bag and stood up from the table. His eyes drifted towards Rin’s dorm and he couldn’t help the twist of worry in his gut.

He really disliked not knowing.

* * *

Bon could have overlooked it as one of the numerous weird things about Rin if it had been a one off. Rin didn’t typically lie unless he was trying to avoid admitting he hadn’t done his homework and even then he tended towards distraction instead of lies. Their friendship had gotten to a rocky start because of lies and they tried not to fall back into that trap.

(Rin knew how much he _hated_ lies and the halfling put an effort into avoiding them.)

It was not the only occurrence though. And worse? Rin wasn’t the only one lying.

“Hey,” Bon dropped his bag on the floor next to Rin. He picked his boyfriend’s tail up off the chair, sat down, and draped it over his lap. Tangling his fingers in the fur at the end of Rin’s tail, he pressed a kiss to Rin’s cheek in greeting. The tail twitched in Bon’s lap in a cheerful way that reminded him a little of a dog. 

“Hey yourself.” Rin said as he wrapped his own arm around Bon’s waist. “What’s up?”

A lot was up, not the least of which was his paranoia. He plastered on a smile and tried to appear casual. “I wanted to see if you were available for dinner tonight.” Tomorrow was their date night but he hadn’t seen as much of Rin this week and wanted more time. They already had to separate during most of their classes and now they shared fewer cram classes together since their meisters didn’t match up. Rin ducking out on their study sessions meant even less time together.

Rin’s tail shot up and out of Bon’s hold. “Dinner? Tonight?” His voice went up a little as his tail dropped to curl under the chair nervously. “But it’s not date night.”

Bon shrugged and tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut. “So? Doesn’t mean I can only eat with you on date night.”

“I can’t! I’ve got plans.” 

“Plans?” He shifted in his chair so he was sitting sideways and leaning towards Rin. The halfling’s eyes widened as he drew near and his mouth popped open the slightest bit. At least he could still affect Rin by drawing close. “Anything fun?”

Rin’s eyes shot frantically across the campus. “Uh. Plans. Yeah.” He sucked in a sharp breath and straightened. “Konekomaru! I’ve got plans with Neko.”

Bon drew back in surprise. He had _not_ expected that. Rin floundering for an excuse was entertaining even if it hurt but lying again was just hurt. Why bring Konekomaru into it? He could feel his face crumpling in a weird mix of anxiety and shame but he couldn’t quite stop it. His mind was racing through the last week and what he could have done to make Rin no longer want to hang out with him. If that was the case, why wasn’t he just saying so? They’d promised to talk if something went wrong. 

What had he missed? Was it the tail thing? Had he hurt Rin’s feelings? If so, wouldn’t Fireball have popped up and said something? Fireball wasn’t subtle.

“Yeah! Neko and I gotta thing we’re doing.” Rin’s hand waved wildly through the air and Bon realized Konekomaru was walking through the courtyard towards the student shop. “NEKO!”

Konekomaru’s head turned towards them and he raised a mildly confused eyebrow over why Rin was shouting at him across the courtyard. He moved towards them anyway.

It gave Bon just enough time to get control of his facial expression. He smoothed it out and straightened up. He half considered grabbing his bag and just leaving but he kind of wanted to see how this played out.

Konekomaru reached them with a smile on his face. His eyes darted between them, staying on Bon for a beat longer. 

“What’s up?” 

Rin looked up at him with wide eyes and his tail still firmly curled around the chair. “We’ve got that thing tonight, right? You ready for it?”

“Th-oh! Yes. Tonight. The thing.” Konekomaru nodded his head aggressively and adjusted his bag over his shoulder. “Of course. I’m ready whenever.” He glanced at Bon and promptly fiddled with his glasses.

 _Lies_. 

Both of them were _lying_. Konekomaru’s glasses always gave him away and Rin was practically waving a neon flag with his body language and the way his tail kept curling between his legs or chair. It always did that when he was lying and nervous. 

Bon watched them both, taking in the nervous fiddling and the guilty tail and nodded. “Sure. See you guys later.” He grabbed his bag and stood up. Heart dropping, he walked towards the library and didn’t look back. 

* * *

Bon figured it out mostly on accident. He didn’t intend to, but it was hard not to read Rin’s tail when he’d spent _so_ much time watching it. 

He blamed it on the fact that the _secret_ intervened with his date night. Thursday nights were date night and Rin shortened it to be just a little over an hour. 

Unacceptable. 

Furthering his curiosity was the fact that the rest of the cram group seemed to at least be marginally involved. Renzou got Rin out of helping Bon practicing his shield after class. Konekomaru intervened again during a steady session (messing up dates was one thing, affecting Rin’s school work was a very different thing and he wasn’t going to let that happen again. He didn’t care what the secret was.) 

It was something they all knew about, but not something they seemed too actively involved in. It was something distracting Rin, and it was something he didn’t want Bon knowing about.

He wasn’t scared about cheating. Rin wasn’t the type and his friends sure as hell wouldn’t help him on that. He didn’t doubt Rin loved him and that the halfling would probably have been quite unhappy if he knew he’d bothered Bon. (Hopefully.)

The break in the case happened after Magic Circles. 

Rin was scribbling in a notebook while he headed towards the gym. His tail was halfway lifted and wagging slightly which meant Bon’s boyfriend was feeling relaxed and cheerful. His guard was down and Bon might not be a knight, but he knew enough to take advantage in dropped guards.

It was easy to slip up behind Rin and loop an arm around his shoulders. Rin jolted and his tail whipped around Bon’s hip to pull him closer. 

“Marshmallow!” Rin hummed. He snapped his notebook shut a little too eagerly to be innocent. “Didn’t hear ya coming up.”

“Probably ‘cause of that.” Bon tapped the notebook before dropping his hand to his hip, wrapping around Rin’s tail and holding it in place. His boyfriend wasn’t getting away this time. The tail went rigid before wrapping all the more tightly around him. He was jerked closer to Rin and almost tripped on his feet.

It was better than the previous reactions. 

“Just notes.” Rin said evasively. His tail tried to jerk free of Bon’s hold but he kept a sturdy grip. Yet another lie. 

“Notes.” He repeated as Rin’s tail continued to do its level best to wiggle out of his grip. 

Rin fidgeted. “Yeah?” A group going in the opposite direction of them forced them to separate. Rin’s tail immediately stuck straight out as if he was at alert and anxious.

“What on? Classwork? Somethin’ you need help with?”

Rin shook his head. “Nah, it’s stuff for my… knight training.” His tail drooped and curved towards his legs.

 _Lie._ “Hmm. Sure about that?”

“Yeah?” Rin shoved the notebook in his bag and Bon spotted the word _Recipes_ scrawled across the front in Rin’s messy handwriting. 

He hummed noncommittal and moved back to loop his arm around Rin’s shoulders. The halfling leaned against him and wrapped him up again. 

“We’re hanging out Sunday, right?” Rin said in a nonchalant tone that Bon might have bought if the tail on his hip didn’t squeeze nervously. 

Bon had a sudden thought about recipes and friends. “We are?”

The tail squeezed tighter so he was forced closer to Rin. “Yeah!” Rin gushed with a light blush. It was fairly convincing. 

“Specific time?” 

“One pm.” Rin answered without hesitation. His tail twitched upwards like it wanted to wag.

Hmm. Rin wanted him there at a specific time. Rin seemed happy about him believing they’d had plans. Plans they didn’t have. (Bon didn’t forget things.) Rin was planning something for that _specific_ time and, unless Bon was wrong, it was something to do with a recipe.

What was sunday? April 20th? What had -

Oh.

_Oh._

How had he forgotten that date? 

Shit. He had one day to get something now. He could probably go tomorrow morning before Rin was even up.

They were the first ones to reach the gym so Bon didn't waste a single second before planting a kiss on Rin's lips. He cupped his boyfriend's cheeks and grinned when he felt Rin's tail wiggle up his back to tug him closer.

* * *

Konekomaru smiled at him all through breakfast while Renzou kept wiggling his eyebrows in an annoyingly obvious way. 

(More annoying because the implication made his _stupid_ cheeks blush.)

By the time it was finally one Bon had long since left their company and wandered around the campus to pass the time. He jogged up to the old dorm and tugged it open. Part of him wanted to berate Rin for leaving it open but his boyfriend would just argue that he knew Bon was coming over and he could fight off any trouble. (He could but that wasn't the point.)

He didn't get more than two steps inside before Rin was appearing around the corner. He was dressed in his uniform minus the tie and jacket, which was the most formal thing he had.

Bon was wearing a sweater and slacks and felt a little underdressed. He should have known Rin would go all out over this. shit, he loved his ridiculous and romantic boyfriend.

"Hi," he murmured a little shyly and reached for Rin's hand. 

He was promptly kissed until he was panting breathlessly against Rin and a little weak in the knees which was just embarrassing and something Rin did _not_ need to know.

"Come on," Rin's tail wipped through the air as he tugged on Bon's hand. He led them towards the kitchen where Bon caught the scent of a mix of spices and eel that made his stomach rumble.

"Hamo?" He asked quietly as Rin rounded the corner to the dining hall.

Rin nodded and made a dramatic sweeping motion to the table where he'd set up a meal for them. It wasn't just hamo. Rin had made yatsuhashi as well.

His throat felt suddenly thick. He hadn't had either of those since the last time he'd been to Kyoto. He couldn't even remember telling Rin he liked them. His boyfriend had learned the recipes especially for today. He'd probably told Konekomaru and Renzou as well to act as taste testers.

His gift felt a little inadequate suddenly.

"Sexy?" Rin shuffled closer to him with a frown. "Upset?" His tail went rigid with anxiety.

Bon shook his head. "Not that." He caught Rin's other hand. "I... I almost forgot the date."

Rin's hair lit with flames as Fireball's lips lifted in a sharp smile. "Sexy remembered?"

Bon let go of one of Rin's hands to pull the small present out. He pressed it into Rin's free hand and dropped his eyes to the tiles under their feet.

Rin somehow managed to open the package without letting go of Bon's hand. He flared bright with flames for a second when he saw the new hairclip inside.

"I gave you the old one two years ago today. Figured it had earned the right to retire."

Rin's arms looped around his neck as his tail wagged hard enough to sway Rin's hips. 

Bon really liked Rin's tail and he _really_ loved Rin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a heads up, I posted the higher rated companion fic to this story :)
> 
> Thanks to AlexTheAlright for the idea of this chapter <3
> 
> Also, I'm not sure exactly what date the hair clip exchange happened but if you do know, let me know and I'll update it :D


	18. Dietary Concerns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the thanks to zimny for this fabulous idea.

_Your nephilim/demon partner might have unique requirements for their diet. This can be as simple as avoiding specific foods - some herbs will give them indigestion because of their magical properties - to something more dramatic, such as a requirement for blood._

_If you have a phobia (blood phobias are real and terrible) that comes into play here, talk to your partner about it. As long as you don’t judge them for biological needs they can’t control, they shouldn’t judge you for having a reaction to it._

_In my case, the solution tends to be very rare meat. You still have to be careful what sort of meat you choose if you have a nephilim because things like poultry and pork can cause issues if eaten raw. Superior healing will keep them from dying but it still can cause a few hours of discomfort. Some demons prefer to hunt for fresh meat and-_

_You know what? It’s completely okay to just not eat all your meals together. They can go for their ‘special’ meals and you can treat yourself to something. Just try not to think of what they’re doing._

* * *

Rin was quick to share his food. He wasn’t the sort to get angry if you stole a chip, and he got downright giddy to share anything he’d made. 

Because of that, he wasn’t typically secretive about what he was eating. 

At least, he hadn’t been. Then again, Bon hadn’t eaten nearly as many meals with him in the past as he did now. It wasn’t unusual for them to have all their meals in a day together and, if that trend went for more than two days…

Bon might just be paranoid, but Rin was hiding his bento box from view. Bon had a bigger lunch today because he was doing a lot of weight training and that meant more calories for muscle. He’d been self-conscious about the amount a few years ago but Rin could eat him under the table and Shiemi could eat enough for a horse so he was just another big eater in the group.

None of them were particularly self-conscious about their eating habits anymore. Years of friendship and other much more embarrassing situations made you comfortable. 

So why on earth would his boyfriend randomly start hiding what he was eating?

Before asking and acting paranoid, he decided to do a quick test of his theory. He shifted in his seat, leaning forward on the table and changing his view of Rin. He hooked his foot around Rin’s to get his attention and brushed his ankle up Rin’s calf. The halfling’s tail shot in the air and his eyes darted up to Bon. 

His first response was a smile that promptly went stiff and panicked. Rin shifted subtly enough that Bon might not have noticed if he wasn’t looking expressly for it. The adjustment made certain Rin’s bento was out of his view behind the bag again. 

“You’re awful quiet,” Bon said nonchalantly as he picked up a few cucumber slices with his chopsticks. He brought them towards his mouth and paused at the last second, “somethin’ on your mind?” He chomped down on the vegetable and eyed Rin expectantly. 

“Nah!” Rin grinned in a way that didn’t show his fangs which made Bon a _little_ suspicious. “Just thinkin’.” 

Bon wrinkled his brow in confusion. “Then the answer was ‘yes.’ There _is_ something on your mind.” He snagged another cucumber. “What?” He dragged his foot around Rin’s ankle, teasing up his leg. Rin was most open when Bon was touching him. The physical affection seemed to make him feel confident/comfortable enough to be honest. “You can tell me.”

Rin snapped his bento shut and climbed on top of the table, knocking his bag over on the bento as he scrambled towards Bon. Rin’s knee ended up in his cucumbers as his boyfriend’s left hand curved around his jaw and the right one wrapped around his tie to haul him into a hungry, demanding kiss. Rin continued shoving his way forward, knocking Bon’s bento to the ground as he settled on Bon’s lap.

He _might_ have overdone the affectionate touch. That was pretty much his last cognitive thought because Rin was really talented with his lips and tongue and Bon’s brain mostly shut off.

It was fantastic and devious. He spent the rest of his lunch break happily making out with Rin and forgot all about the weirdness of lunch until much later. 

He lost round one but he was determined to find out the answers. 

* * *

Round two was almost entirely on Shiemi. He gave himself credit because he was the one who put the actual pieces together. (Eventually.)

Yukio took them to Shiemi's magical garden for their Pharmaceuticals lessons with strict instructions not to touch anything they couldn't easily identify. Bon wiggled his way next to Rin and took his hand under the pretense of keeping an eye on him. (He just wanted to hold his boyfriend's hand.) 

"This is so romantic." Rin teased with a smile that made his eyes sparkle. His tail lifted into the air in an easy, cheerful wag and Bon could feel his own lips tilting up at the corners. Rin’s hand was a little cold but not enough to bother. Certainly not enough to let go.

(None of Rin was ever cold. Even his feet were typically warm.)

"Yeah, just us and a few dozen demons." He bumped his shoulder against Rin's and kept an eye on where Yukio was leading them. Shiemi's garden wasn't the best place to get lost. The plants had a way of moving when you weren't looking directly at them. Some of them could attack as well. They moved a few feet further in when Rin abruptly stopped and made a retching sound. 

“What-” Bon started but Rin cut him off with a head shake. The halfling tugged his coat up over his nose mouth and gave Bon an incredulous look.

“Do you _not_ smell that?” 

“Smell what?” All he could smell was a vast array of flora. There were dozens of flowering plants and blooming demons sending their scents in the air and it was enough to give him a headache but there wasn’t anything unpleasant. Just _too_ much of it all. (He couldn’t imagine how it felt to Rin with those heightened senses.)

“It’s awful!” Rin exclaimed in an indignant muffle from his coat. “Like road kill or somethin’.”

Bon smelled nothing foul like that. 

Shiemi shifted closer to them with a small smile. “That’s why we’re here, Rin.”

“That stink?!”

Shiemi nodded as Yukio took a turn down another path. 

Bon saw it before he smelled it. It was easily taller than him or Yukio, and it was _big._ It was the fakest looking flower he’d ever seen. It looked like one solid petal that was wrapped in a green leaf both of which surrounded a tall stamen that towered over all of their heads. The samen was a sickly sort of yellow, the petal was a dingy pink, and the leaf was a muddy sort of green. 

Calling the smell ‘road kill’ had been generous. It was the worst part of death and rot mingled together in an offensive stench you couldn’t get out of your nose. It immediately coated your mouth and burned your throat and nostrils.

“There it is,” Yukio called over his shoulder, “The Amorphophallus Titanum. More commonly known as the Corpse Flower. Don’t approach it, they’ve been known to swallow fully grown men.”

“It’s ugly.” Izumo stated with a frown as she brought a hand over her nose. 

“And deadly.” Yukio adjusted his glasses and clasped his hands behind his back. “The Amorphophallus Titanum is a possessed plant capable of devouring human flesh. They lure in smaller prey with their scent and trap them in their pitcher. They can eat most anything, but their delight is human.”

Shiemi moved towards Yukio and opened her bag. She pulled a bundle out that was wrapped in what looked like butcher paper. 

Bon was suddenly mildly alarmed about why they were here. It was probably paranoia. Any plant that smelled like that he’d ignore on principle. Who was dumb enough to actually approach that thing? If it was pretty or smelled nice, sure, but it stank and looked like depression.

Yukio accepted the bundle from Shiemi and began to unwrap it. Rin _immediately_ perked up. He stood straighter, his hand lowering so the coat slipped slightly off his nose. With his nostrils flaring, Rin’s tail lifted in the air at alert, stiff and straight like he was on the hunt. The hand holding Bon’s tightened its grip and, for a moment, he felt the bite of claws against the back of his hand. Rin got the change under control before his features shifted and pressed closer to Bon.

His tail stayed up and at alert though. 

Yukio pulled out a lump of unidentifiable meat (Bon was not going to look too closely. There was no way Yukio would use human meat but he didn’t want to know what the bleeding meat was.) and motioned for Shiemi to step back. She did, joining Izumo, and subtly lifting covering her mouth as the plant’s stench somehow got _worse._

Bon moved his free hand over his own mouth and tried not to gag. Renzou walked as far back as he could and still be part of the group. Konekomaru took off his hat and used it to cover his mouth and nose.

“Now, should you happen upon a Amorphophallus Titanum in the wild, you can distract them with something like jerky, though the fresher the better. As a final resort you can use blood.” 

Rin shivered next to him and Bon felt the claws again. He side-eyed his boyfriend and noticed his cheeks had sharpened and his jaw was slightly larger. There weren’t any flames yet, but he was absolutely fighting a full change.

(Why?)

Yukio tossed the meat towards the plant and Bon winced at the force of Rin’s grip and the sting of his claws. 

The meat hit the stamen and the petal and leaf surged upwards. They wrapped around the meat, pulling it down into the pitcher and leaving a smear of blood on the yellow stamen. 

Rin relaxed his grip. His features relaxed and he brushed his thumb over the back of Bon’s hand in mild apology. 

What was that about? Was it the demonic plant? But then why hadn’t he cared about the dozens of other demons milling about? There were nearly as many demons in Shiemi’s garden as there were plants. 

“Sunshine?” Bon whispered under his breath. He could hardly hear himself but Rin’s tail twitched. 

“Nothing.” Rin offered him a small smile and covered his mouth again. “Just really stinks.” His tail drooped, curling towards his legs in a nervous way.

_Lie._

Why?

Asking was pushed to the back of his mind as the Amorphophallus Titanum tore itself out of the ground and lunged for Yukio. 

Overall, he wasn’t a big fan of Shiemi’s garden.

* * *

The third and final piece of the puzzle dropped into place that weekend. 

“You got this, Rin.” Bon leaned forward and pushed the open notebook across the table towards his boyfriend. “You’ve already written it here. You know it.” 

Rin’s eyes darted to the notebook before returning to his worksheet. He poked his tongue out, absently licking at his fangs as he studied the problem. Bon forced himself not to focus on the distracting action and waited for Rin to get it or ask for help. Rin knew the answer but he’d been acting kind of preoccupied for their entire study session. Normally Bon would just assume it meant Rin wanted to do something more exciting but it didn’t feel like that kind of distracted. 

Rin looked kind of pale. 

Bon hadn’t noticed it earlier but the more Bon looked, the worse it seemed. Rin had a light complexion but this wasn’t right. There were even slight bags under his eyes. 

“Hey,” Bon leaned forward on the table and reached for Rin’s hand, “you feelin’ okay?” There was a twist in his gut as he noticed a chill in Rin’s hands again. Something was wrong. Was he sick? Rin didn’t get sick. He couldn’t. Outside of Setsbune. Was it a magical plant? They hadn’t eaten anything. The only item on the table was a cup of water and a bag of chips. Nothing dangerous. The water was tap and they hadn’t done any arias so it wasn’t at risk of being purified in any way. 

(There were so many things he had to watch out for.)

“Just a headache.” Rin shrugged his concern off but flipped his hand over so they could properly hold hands. “Kinda tired.”

Rin stared at the page again, eyes dragging over the page and now Bon felt like he was blinking a little too much. He got up from his seat and moved to the spot next to Rin. The halfling watched him move with a curious tilt of his head and dropped his tail in Bon’s lap as he settled down. Bon tangled his fingers in the fur at the tip and leaned towards Rin. His boyfriend’s tail thumped cheerfully as Rin tilted his head closer for a kiss. Bon avoided Rin’s lips and went for his forehead instead. His mother had always tested his temperature this way and it had made him feel safer as a sick child. 

Rin felt cooler than he should. 

What was going on? Someone kind of cold? But there wasn’t anything that could cause it. He’d been with Rin all day and there hadn’t been any trigger. At least none that he knew about.

“Bluebell, you sure it’s just a headache? You feel cool.” 

“You look cool.” Rin parroted back. He leaned against Bon’s chest and sighed. “I feel kinda yucky. And I know the answers on the page but the words are swimming and I can’t make them stop.”

Huh. Dizziness? Or just disorientation? Rin was dyslexic but he would have said it was what was causing the problem. 

Bon blew out a breath and squeezed Rin’s hand. “How about we take a break? Hmm? Get a snack?” Rin’s tail thumped in his lap again. “Sound good?”

Rin nodded and yawned. “Yeah. I just feel weird.” 

(What sort of illness could it be? Exhaustion?)

“Hey, what if… Could I talk to Fireball? I think it’s something with-” Rin’s features morphed before he could finish the question. His jaw elongated and his cheeks sharpened as his longer fangs slipped over his lips. A few flames flickered along his hair and the halfling looked utterly unhappy. His lips dipped down in a frown, showing teeth that were too large for his mouth.

“Fireball,” Bon greeted softly. Ignoring the horns, he pressed a kiss to Rin’s forehead and held the pose, “you not feeling well?”

Rin started to shake his head but paused the movement before he could dislodge Bon. “No.” he answered sulkily. His tail shifted in Bon’s lap, freeing itself from his fingers and winding around his leg to tug him closer. Bon moved his now free hand to Rin’s back and rubbed a soothing circle. 

“How so? Can you explain?”

Rin tilted towards him and tucked his head against Bon’s neck. “Head hurts. Hungry. Cold. Tired.” The halfling shifted uncomfortably in his chair before curling his leg around Bon’s. 

That was enough for him. “Hey,” he whispered so volume wouldn’t add to Rin’s headache, “let’s get a snack and go upstairs. You can nap for a while. I’ll organize your notes while you rest.” 

“Sexy make it better?”

Bon slipped his hand up Rin’s back and into his flickering hair. His boyfriend slumped under the head rub. “Yeah,” he pressed a kiss to the white locks, “I’ll make it better.”

Bon kissed his hair again. “Come on.” He released his hold on Rin’s hair and hand and reached for the notebook. He caught the edge of it and tugged it close. A sharp flare of pain shot through his thumb at the motion. Jerking his hand back, he saw a bead of blood forming at the end of a paper cut. Great. He hated papercuts. They were obnoxiously irritating to be so small and were impossible not to notice whenever you were doing anything. And his thumb of all things. Stupid paper.

Rin jolted upright abruptly, flaring brightly with flames as his features twitched. He drew in a sharp breath and grabbed a fistfull of his hair. 

“No!” He snarled, “it’s _my_ turn!”

Bon lowered his hand cautiously. “Huh?”

Rin tilted his head enough that Bon could see his eyes through his flame covered hair. “He’s trying to take back over. Like I would hurt Sexy.”

It was probably a bit of a tell about his life that instead of worry about an occasionally unstable hafling. He was more worried about what had made Rin think he was in danger.

“Why would you hurt me?”

Rin caught his hand where it was resting on the table and brought it to his chest in a protective way. “Blood. Sexy hurt. Thinks-” Rin stopped unexpectedly and snapped his head towards the Common Room’s doors. He growled a little in his throat, squeezing Bon’s hand and glaring at whatever had caught his attention. 

The door opened and Yukio peered in. “Ah, thought it was you two-” He noticed Rin’s transformed state. “Is everything okay?”

Ordinarily Bon would be tempted to get rid of Yukio for alone time but he was too worried for that. “Rin’s pale, tired, clammy, and got a headache. What-”

Yukio stepped properly in the room with a scowl. Bon could only remember a handful of times he’d seen the reserved teacher scowl and they’d all had to do with Rin being reckless in some way. 

“Rin, I _told_ you to eat.” Yukio huffed. “You promised to stop skipping!”

Rin slouched in his seat in a petulant way. “Shut up.”

“Eat? Eat what?”

Yukio glanced at him, irritation obvious in every line of his face. "You don't know." He said in a way that made it a statement and not a question. A disappointed statement. "Rin! Is that why-"

Yukio didn't get a chance to finish before Rin was out of the chair, fully on fire, and growling. 

"No," he snarled in a way that made the hair on the back of Bon's neck stand up, "don't tell!"

"Tell what?"

Both twins ignored him. 

"Rin," Yukio said, eyes narrowed in annoyance, "this is beyond ridiculous. You can't just-"

Rin snarled again. "Not Sexy! No upsetting Ryuuji!"

Bon stood up. “Woah!” He raised his hands placatingly, shifting around the chair so he was in his boyfriend’s range of view, “I don’t know what’s going on but you can tell me, Rin. I’m not going to be upset.”

“No!” Rin stomped his foot like an upset child and promptly swayed from the motion. Worry slammed through Bon’s guts. Rin was really not okay. Whatever secret he was keeping didn’t matter. Bon just needed him to get better. They could talk later and he could figure out what was going on. For now he’d suck up any hurt feelings and get over it.

“Nevermind.” He grabbed his bag from the table and took another step back. “I’ll just go for now.” He directed his gaze to Yukio. “Fix whatever’s wrong.” He slung his bag over his shoulder and tried not to think about Rin not trusting him. “Fireball? Call me when you’re feeling better?”

Rin grumbled out a string of Gehenna words Bon didn’t understand but the tone implied an annoyance and anger. Though, all Gehenna words sounded mildly angry. It wasn’t a particularly gentle sounding language. 

He left the room without another word and went straight to his dorm. He dropped his bag on his bed and pulled out his phone. It only took a few minutes to find the right site and punch in the symptoms. 

The results had him looking back at the past week with new eyes.

It was, in hindsight, a _really_ obvious thing to miss. It had come up in three of his different classes, and it was a casual fact he knew about most demons. He couldn’t understand _why_ it had never occurred to him that it might be the same for halfling’s. 

And, god, there were entire papers written on the subject. It was practically common knowledge. 

He flopped back on his bed and felt like an idiot. He still had a fair bit of homework to do but it was impossible to care about that when Rin was probably ill all because he’d been worried about upsetting Bon. 

It had already been an hour. Why hadn’t Rin called?

He pulled his phone back out and sent a quick text to Rin. 

_[Are you feeling any better, Sunshine?]_

Bon rolled on his side and stared at the screen while he waited for a response. The seconds seemed to tick by endlessly and the worry in his gut grew a bit larger with each one.

Two minutes after the text his phone started to vibrate and Rin’s picture popped up. He thumbed the ‘answer’ button and brought it to his ear.

“I’m sorry.” Rin mumbled into the phone. There was a strange whooshing noise on his end of the call. “I didn’t mean to kinda freak out on you.”

He sounded okay but the worry was still a massive thing in his chest. “I get it. Are you feeling better?”

Another whoosh. “Kinda. Still a little tired.” 

Bon grabbed his pillow, hugged it to his chest, and didn’t care that it made him look like a lovesick teen in a cheesy flick. “Try and take a nap. The effects should wear off if you rest, right?”

“Are you in your room?”

He nodded and remembered Rin wouldn’t see the action. “Yeah?”

Another whoosh and a clatter. A clatter he heard on the phone and roof. What?

He got his answer about five seconds later. Rin rapped at his window and pointed at the latch. Bon scrambled off his bed and hefted the window up and open. 

“Rin! That’s dangerous!” His boyfriend raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him as he climbed inside. “I don’t care if you’d heal from the fall. It would still hurt!”

Rin’s lips quirked up in a tender smile that made Bon’s chest feel tight in a way that had nothing to do with worry. The halfling moved towards him and wrapped him up in a warm embrace. The claminess was gone and Rin had most of his color back. 

Bon looped his own arms around Rin and closed his eyes. He let out a shaky breath and squeezed Rin as tightly as he could for a long moment.

He then smacked him on the arm. “You idiot!” He snapped, and all the anxiety and fear from before was turning into anger. “Why didn’t you tell me you needed blood?!”

Rin scowled and let Bon go so he could wrap his arms around his own chest angrily. “I _knew_ you’d look it up.”

“I wouldn’t have had to if you’d just told me. And don’t change the subject! Why didn’t you tell me?”

The scowl slipped into something a little less defiant and a little sad. “Because it’s gross? And creepy? I’m already _so_ weird. I…”

“It’s a part of your dietary requirements.” Bon reached for Rin’s hand because even though he was still upset he didn’t want Rin spiraling into a self-deprecating loop. “Like I need protein or vitamins. Just because you require components found in blood it doesn’t make you weird or gross or creepy.”

“But-”

“No buts, Rin. It’s not gross or creepy.” Rin shuffled a little closer. Bon couldn’t help but notice his tail was curled between his legs. “I’m not going to judge you for what you eat, Rin. I know you’re not hurting anyone. Hell, you probably just get it through rare meat, don’t you?”

Rin wrapped his arms around Bon’s chest again. “Yeah, but it’s still kinda gross and messy.” 

“Rin, if you don’t like eating it in front of people then just do it when you wake up or after school. Hell, just excuse yourself for a few minutes.” He offered his boyfriend a playful smile, “I’ve seen Fireball eat. It won’t take long.”

Rin stuck his tongue out but his tail lifted up into the air and gave a tentative wag. “It really doesn’t bother you?”

He shook his head. “I don’t care what you eat. Just… Please let me know stuff like that? And, shit, don’t let it get that bad again? You kinda scared me earlier.” He swallowed and dropped his gaze to the floor. “You got pale and dizzy and that doesn’t happen to you.” He really didn't want that to happen again. He kinda got why Rin was so upset about the kiwi stuff now.

Rin’s smile grew. “Aww! Did ya worry about me? You kinda like me, huh?”

Bon smacked his arm. (Not hard enough to hurt.) “I love you, moron.” The anger had melted away and now he just felt light. Rin was okay and it wasn't going to happen again because he'd know to check now. Bon stepped back but Rin didn’t make any moves to let him go so he dragged his boyfriend along. “Come on. I promised a cuddle earlier and I think we could both use it.”

Rin beamed and promptly dragged him towards the bed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will absolutely be bringing this in more in the future chapters. Let me know if anything didn't come across too clearly or you have any ideas you'd like to see covered :D
> 
> I based Rin's symptoms off of Iron deficiency because I felt like it would be closest to what the lack of blood/rare meat in his diet would be like?


End file.
